Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages
by ArtemisMoon
Summary: [COMPLETE]InuKag Down on his luck, Inuyasha needs a way to earn some money when Sesshoumaru 'offers' him a job. Will a hopeless bachelor like Inuyasha be able to handle the task, or will it cause him to end up swearing off kids forever?
1. A Difficult Situation

I'm back, and hopefully better than ever with my second Inuyasha story! I know it's been forever since I've posted anything, but I've finally got a new story for you to enjoy! I've been working on it for a long time now so hopefully you guys will like it just as much, if not more, than my first one. ^_^

Please ignore all the little periods you my find through the story. I am using them to preserve the spacing since ff.net screwed it up. Hopefully they won't bother anyone and will instead make the story a little easier to read since everything will be properly spaced.

Oh, and before we get started, I can't forget to give big thanks to the best beta readers in the entire world, Saro, Kajun Spice, and Hembadoon!

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Disclaimer: It wasn't my fault it took me so long to write another story, really! Oh, and I don't own Inuyasha or any of Rumiko Takahashi's wonderful characters.

Rated for language.

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter 1

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The small apartment was quiet, save the occasional snapping sound of a newspaper as a very annoyed hanyou scanned the want ads for the fifth day in a row. Every few moments he would flip another page, nearly creating holes in the thin paper with his claws from the amount of force he put behind each turn.

"Damn city!" He muttered under his breath as he scanned the listings. "Telemarketers, waiters, cooks…isn't there something around here that I can do?" Inuyasha scowled at the mental image of himself waiting tables, but smiled when his imaginary self dumped a tray of food on the customer's head.

When his amusement passed, Inuyasha's expression once again grew serious. "If I don't get my hands on some money soon, I'm gonna find myself short one apartment."

The unease caused by such a thought showed on his face. Inuyasha really liked his apartment and the idea of losing it didn't set well with him. Not only had it been the only home he'd really known since his mother died, but its location also held a special interest for him.

Suddenly a possible solution came to mind, and Inuyasha almost smiled. If nothing else, it would at least be a temporary answer until he could find another job like his old one.

"That pervert had better be home," he muttered, picking up his cordless phone.

As he listened impatiently, the phone rang several times before a very polite, almost seductive voice answered the phone.

"Greetings, Miroku speaking."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Would you get over yourself already!" he snapped.

"Well Inuyasha, I'm happy to be speaking with you, too!" The now amused Miroku replied. "So what do you need today? Legal advice, financial advice, or perhaps a good swift kick in the-"

"Alright already, I get your point!" the dog-demon huffed, cutting Miroku off. Before the man on the other end could add anything else to his little speech, Inuyasha muttered something almost too low for the human on the other end to hear. 

"I'm sorry for being rude."

Dead silence met this unusual statement.

It took several moments for Miroku's brain to register the fact that Inuyasha, whom he had never heard apologize in his entire life, had just said something nice. And to HIM of all people! Sure that he must be hallucinating, Miroku silently checked his forehead for any sign of fever.

The fact that Inuyasha didn't hear a single word out of his friend after he'd gone and embarrassed himself horribly was starting to grate on his nerves, and he finally got sick of waiting on him. "Oi, did you hear me or not?!?!" At least he seemed to be back to his old self again, growl and all.

Miroku sighed. "Yes, I heard you although I don't believe what I heard. Who are you and what have you done with Inuyasha?"

The temperamental hanyou had to stop himself from responding with a rude remark. It wouldn't do him any good to make Miroku angry just when he needed his help so much. Instead he made his tone gruff and slightly sullen as he tried to temper his usual attitude.

"Oi Miroku…I need to ask you about something."

Understanding quickly dawned and it caused Miroku to become suddenly wary. "Okay, spit it out. What do you want this time?"

"A job." Inuyasha obviously didn't believe in beating around the bush.

"Fat chance." Neither did Miroku, it seems.

Inuyasha scowled at the phone, dearly wishing his 'friend' was in the same room right then so he could take out all of his job hunting frustrations. "Look Miroku, I need the money! If I don't come up with it in the next week then you're going to find yourself with an unwelcome houseguest!"

"Go stay with your brother," Miroku suggested calmly.

"Half-brother!" Inuyasha snapped automatically. His scowl had deepened more than anyone would have thought possible, and he let loose a low growl. "I am NOT going to go crawling to that bastard! I know he's just waiting for me to go back on my hands and knees like the miserable failure he thinks I am, but I won't give him the satisfaction!"

Miroku was quiet for a moment after Inuyasha's little tirade. "Well…"

Holding his breath hopefully, Inuyasha waited for Miroku to continue.

"…I suppose I could allow you to earn some money." He sounded like he was carefully considering all his possibilities. "But not by working in my restaurant."

This statement confused Inuyasha. How else could he earn money? Miroku, even at the young age of twenty-six, was quite the buisness man and owned a nice little café several blocks away that he'd originally built to attract women. And it did attract women all right…little old ladies wanting a cup of tea to warm their old bones. They all seemed to make it a point to flirt quite regularly with the owner, much to Miroku's 'delight'.

His friend had gotten quiet again, but this time Inuyasha didn't say anything. He seemed to be thinking carefully about whatever his idea was, and the less he annoyed Miroku, the better he knew his chances were.

"Okay, this is the deal," Miroku stated firmly. "I want you to set me up with that really cute girl living in the apartment under-"

*CLICK*

Inuyasha gave the cordless phone in his hand the evil eye, silently daring Miroku to call him back after being hung up on and attempt to continue with his little offer. An offer, which if Inuyasha had his way, would be agreed to when hell froze over.

With renewed determination he once again picked up the newspaper, grumbling all the while. "I think that job waiting tables is starting to look better and better…"

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The office was dark, save the faint light of the sun as it slipped through the slats in the blinds that were drawn over the large bay windows. In one shadowed corner of the room a large desk made of dark, shiny wood was situated and a small figure could be seen standing in front of it. Another much taller figure was seated behind it, the shadows masking his features. 

"Are the preparations complete, Jaken?" the seated man questioned intently. 

The short one, now identified as Jaken, nodded eagerly. "Everything is set just as you requested, Sesshoumaru-sama." 

"I take it you settled all accounts?" 

Jaken once again nodded in affirmation. "The hanyou will be paid for his services just as you ordered, my Lord."

A slight frown marred Sesshoumaru's shadowed face. "I was referring to my other accounts, Jaken. I am well aware that my…brother…has not yet been informed of his job." 

The small demon became flustered over his mistake. "Please forgive me for my error, Sesshoumaru-sama! Of course all of your other accounts have been paid in full without a single problem." 

The frown once again became a mask of boredom. "Fine. Be ready to leave tonight then, for my trip cannot be put off any longer. The plans are final so there is no backing out now." 

"As you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama." Jaken bowed. "Is there anything you might require before I leave to finish preparations?" 

The demon lord seemed to consider the request carefully. "I do not believe so."

Once he was dismissed, Jaken scurried out of the room and shut the ornate wooden door behind him, leaving Sesshoumaru alone in the now almost complete darkness with his thoughts.

'It's been a long time, Inuyasha, since you walked out on our family. It will be interesting to see how pathetically you've fared without our father's money to fall back on.' Sesshoumaru stared thoughtfully at the closed door. 'It will be in my favor if you've failed miserably, for then my…task along with its rewards will be too attractive for you to pass up.'

The phone rang, causing Sesshoumaru to set these thoughts aside for later. He would deal with them again when the time came for him to face his brother, but for now, he had business to attend to.

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"I can't believe they told me I wasn't 'cheerful' enough for the job!" Inuyasha ranted under his breath later that day. "Who do they think they are, telling me that? I can be cheerful if I want to!" Inuyasha slammed the door as he entered the apartment lobby and glared at the desk clerk when she greeted him.

Of course, no one can understand why anyone would have EVER told him such an unreasonable thing.

Inuyasha headed for the elevator without paying attention to anything going on around him. Coming to a stop at his destination, he pressed the up arrow button so hard that the plastic cover cracked. Two people had come up behind him hoping to use the elevator, but wisely decided to take the stairs instead and hurried off. That left Inuyasha alone to spout obscenities to his hearts content.

"Stupid people," he continued to mutter angrily. "I ought to turn around and go tell them they can shove that job right up their-"

"Inuyasha!"

Stopping right in the middle of vocalizing his interesting little plan, Inuyasha spun around and paled when he saw the one person he'd rather not have had overhearing him. "K-Kagome…"

She smiled brightly at him, which indicated that she probably hadn't heard anything and he relaxed considerably. She could be pretty scary when she was upset with someone.

For the last year both Inuyasha and Kagome had lived in the same apartment building, he working and she going to college full time to become a grade school teacher. On occasion they would talk, but neither had ever really had the chance to go out of their way to get to know one another. On Kagome's part it was a lack of time and the fact that Inuyasha had worked nights on his last job as a security guard. As for Inuyasha…

He shifted awkwardly and blushed, not knowing exactly what to say to her. She always had this kind of effect on him and he knew the reason why, not that he'd ever admit it to anyone. With Inuyasha, it would be major progress to even admit to himself that he liked her.

Kagome waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? The elevator door is open, you know."

Inuyasha's face turned almost as red as his T-shirt and Kagome smiled in amusement.

Once they were inside the elevator, Kagome spoke again as she shifted her backpack full of heavy college books. "So, any luck with the job hunting?" She seemed concerned and sympathetic.

Inuyasha stared at her in shock. "How the heck did you know that's what I was doing today?" He didn't know if he should be happy that she cared enough to find out stuff about him, or upset that she knew he was jobless.

Kagome shifted her bag again. "I walked by that café your friend owns and he stopped to talk to me." She was oblivious to the tic Inuyasha had in his eyebrow now. "He seemed so worried about you and told me how hard you were looking. What happened to your last job?"

Inuyasha had to work really hard to stay calm. 'That jerk! As soon as I get my hands on him he's not gonna live long enough to talk to Kagome ever again!'

Out loud though, he managed to stay off the subject of Miroku's imminent death. "The company changed owners and we didn't get along too well." He intentionally left out details, like the fact that it was his brother that now owned the company, and that it had been Inuyasha who had quit rather than work for Sesshoumaru. Leave it to Inuyasha to leave out all the important stuff.

The elevator stopped and Kagome smiled at him again before getting out on her floor. Inuyasha lived one floor up in the apartment over hers, so he stayed where he was. "I hope things work out for you! Let me know how it goes and drop by one day if you feel like it, okay?"

He nodded, trying to look a lot more gruff and serious than he felt at the moment. Once the door had finally closed, he slumped against the wall. "Damn, I'm such an idiot around her that I can't even think to do something nice until it's too late, like carry her bag for her!"

Inuyasha stayed like this and beat himself up over the whole thing until the doors once again opened, this time on his own floor. Sighing, he exited and made his way to the front door of his own apartment. "Well, there's nothing I can do about it now. Just concentrate on getting a job right now and THEN you can worry about her."

Unlocking the door and throwing it open, Inuyasha stomped inside and threw his jacket across the dark room towards where the couch should be. It never made it to its destination.

"Talking to yourself again, I see."

Inuyasha froze at the sound of that well-hated voice. "Sesshoumaru…"

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Well, what do you think of the first chapter? If you like it and are ready to read more, then more you shall certainly get! (If you tell me you want it, of course) So review and let me know what you think! ^_~


	2. Between Brothers

Thank you, everyone who reviewed! That first chapter is always the hardest to post. I always feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting to find out what people think! But I know that first chapter really didn't give anyone a clear idea of what this story would be about so some of you were a bit confused. This chapter should clear up the confusion and hopefully give you a good idea where this story is going.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I wish to as much as I like him. He attracts way too much trouble, and I like my boring life. ^_^

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Two

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"Sesshoumaru…" Inuyasha whispered.

Turning quickly, he flipped the light switch and glared angrily at the unwelcome sight that met his golden eyes. Sesshoumaru, his estranged half-brother, was calmly sitting on the slightly worn green sofa with an amused expression on his face, and the black jacket that Inuyasha had thrown earlier was still in his hand.

"We've just met after not seeing each other in over a year, and you're already throwing things at me. I suppose that means you're no less hostile and uncouth than you were before."

Inuyasha growled slightly in Sesshoumaru's direction, his hackles raised. "What the heck are you doing here?" His voice was low and almost unnerving in its sudden calm. "You'd better explain yourself before I decide to throw you out the window."

Sesshoumaru gave him a bored look. "I'm sure it's probably too late for that. I just find it surprising that you haven't tried yet."

"Don't tempt me."

Deciding it was probably about time to give Inuyasha a break if he wanted him to agree to anything, Sesshoumaru went into business mode. "I'm sure you heard that our father passed away a few months ago."

Inuyasha frowned. "Yeah, what about it? It's not like I had anything to do with the old man after I left."

"You also know, of course, that he left you with a fair amount of money and property if you care to claim it. Even after you left, he still refused to write you out of his will." Sesshoumaru frowned as well. "That's a fact that I find rather distasteful. I admired our father, but he was pathetically sentimental where you and your mother were concerned."

In a fit of rage Inuyasha slammed his hand down onto the nearest thing, which happened to be a small end table. The result was a small pile of firewood. "Don't you DARE mention my mother!" He roared.

Sesshoumaru held up a complacent hand. "I have not come to bring up anything in the past. I just wanted to know where you stood on the matter of the money." He reached into his jacket and pulled out several pieces of paper. "The terms of the will were that you come back to the family and take your rightful place as one of his sons. You still refuse to do this?"

"Damn straight."

Not batting an eyelash at Inuyasha's rude replies, he continued. "I will leave you the papers with this information if you by some chance change your mind. Until that day comes though, I suppose you will need some form of income."

"That's none of your business!" Inuyasha snapped at him. "I left wanting to take care of myself without depending you or anyone else! I don't NEED anyone else and I never will!"

Sesshoumaru gave him a level stare, not at all put off by his half-brother's attitude. "Those are hasty words, Inuyasha. Years from now when you are still living in this cramped, dingy little apartment alone, will you regret them? You should really learn to think before you speak."

When Inuyasha stayed silent, Sesshoumaru changed gears once again and decided it was time to lay his proposition out on the table. He would let Inuyasha's stupidity slide for the moment. "Instead of coming here to tell you how terrible your life is, I actually came here today for the purpose of giving you a job. I see I was right on time with my offer."

Inuyasha gawked at him in shock. "What the hell did you just say?!?!"

"You need a source of income if you want to continue living." He glanced around the room. "In fact, I'm sure with the money I'm willing to pay you'll be living much better than this. You could even afford a better apartment if you wished." He looked around at the apartment doubtfully. It was clean and in good shape, and the location was nice, but it was rather small and bare of furniture and personal effects.

"There's no WAY I'd move out of this place!" Inuyasha protested angrily. "Not that I plan on taking your stupid job anyway!"

"What kind of attachment could you have to a place like this?"

"That's none of your business." He refused to mention Kagome, the HUMAN girl he was interested in, to his brother. He knew he'd probably only get looked down on more for such a thing.

Sesshoumaru decided to drop the argument and went back to the matter at hand. "You still have not heard what kind of job I am offering you. It might or might not be to your liking. Are you willing to risk not hearing the terms before you decline?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Does the fact that I quit my last job because you bought the company tell you anything?"

"You always were rather petty."

Of course Inuyasha opened his mouth to return the insult tenfold when Sesshoumaru suddenly stood up and walked towards the door.

"Where the heck are you going?" Inuyasha grabbed his arm. "I didn't think you were through trying to make me hate you even more than I do right now!"

Sesshoumaru leveled his gaze on him. "I think I've more than accomplished that goal. But I do find it a waste of time to try doing business with someone who is dead set against the whole affair from the beginning."

"So you're quitting, just like that?" Inuyasha wasn't sure what to think. Should he be glad that Sesshoumaru was giving up so easily, or worried? The demon lord didn't get his reputation as a ruthless businessman by walking out and giving up.

"Goodbye, Inuyasha." The door closed with a soft click, leaving the dumbfounded hanyou staring at the spot where Sesshoumaru had been standing a moment before.

"That was way too weird." He muttered to himself. "I thought I'd never see him again. When I left he acted like he was glad to be rid of me." Inuyasha scratched the top of his head in confusion, messing up his white hair. "So what the heck has changed since then?"

Finally giving up on figuring out his brother, Inuyasha slumped down on the couch and glared at the broken end table on the floor. What a waste that was. Now he'd have to go spend money to replace it……

One of his dog-like ears suddenly twitched. "What the heck was that noise?" Listening closely this time, he heard it again. "Was that a…sniffle coming from my bedroom?"

On the alert at the threat of an intruder being in his, er, rather humble abode, he slipped as quietly and nimbly as a cat towards the door to his bedroom. Now that his attention wasn't fully centered on Sesshoumaru and his unwelcome and sudden appearance back into his life, Inuyasha could smell the presence of someone. Inuyasha could have kicked himself for not paying closer attention earlier.

'So this is probably why he gave up so easily. Did he leave someone here to try and kill me so he could get his girly hands on my money? I wouldn't put it past him…'

With a snarl and a burst of speed, Inuyasha slammed the bedroom door open, almost knocking it off its hinges. "WHO ARE YOU-" Coming to a sudden stop, Inuyasha almost tripped over a pile of dirty clothes on the floor. "What the hell?!?"

Sitting on his bed was a small human girl who couldn't have been older than six or seven years at most. She smiled at him sweetly, not at all fazed by the fear-inducing entrance he'd made a moment before.

"Hi, Uncle Inu!" She cried happily. "Rin has come to stay with you for a while!"

Although Inuyasha had faced many life-threatening situations during his 24 years on earth, never had he experienced such a feeling of fear and complete helplessness until now. He had a REALLY bad feeling about this!

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Downstairs in the apartment right underneath his, Kagome had been peacefully studying for her classes the next day. She'd fixed herself a small snack and settled down at a small coffee table, eager to get some work done before she was disturbed by her roommate, Sango, who was sure to be home soon. She also took classes at the local University, but her schedule ran later than Kagome's that day.

"Now let's see," She murmured to herself. "If I take this number and divide it by 423, then I should get a total of-"

*CRASH*

"AAHHHH!" Kagome snapped her pencil in half before looking up at the ceiling in fear. "What the heck was that noise? Please don't tell me the roof is going to cave in or something…the last thing I need distracting me is a cute guy falling in my lap." Kagome blushed and tried to think of something or someone else, but failed miserably.

She knew Inuyasha lived in the apartment above her, but despite how much people talked about what violent tempers youkai and even hanyou have, she had never had a problem with him destroying furniture or making loud noises.

"Maybe something just broke." She reasoned. "I hope nothing's wrong though. What if he's hurt or something?" Kagome nearly laughed at the direction her thoughts were taking and started scolding herself. "You're being silly! It would take a lot more than a nasty fall to put a half-demon out of commission. You worry too much."

'Maybe so,' A little voice inside her head continued, 'But it's not often you find yourself worrying about people - or hanyou - that you barely know.'

"I do barely know him, don't I?" She mused out loud, having completely forgotten about her schoolwork. "We've talked quite a few times, but he always starts acting so nervous, like he thinks I'm going to bite him or something! If anyone should worry about something like that, it should be me! Those sharp fangs of his…"

Lost in thought about the mystery known as Inuyasha, Kagome barely registered the sound of the front door opening and closing. "I'm home!"

"I'm in here, Sango-chan!"

Her friend breezed around the corner with a bag full of her own torture materials and dumped them on the couch. "Getting any work done?"

Kagome tried not to look guilty over her earlier distraction. "Yeah, a little bit, but not much. I was getting somewhere but a sound from upstairs distracted me. It almost sounded like something crashing."

Sango looked unconcerned. "That's Inuyasha's apartment, right? Whatever happened, I'm sure it won't kill him. Maybe just maim him a little." She joked.

"Stop that!" Kagome protested, giving her friend a small push.

Sango raised both her hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry! I just don't feel very charitable towards those things known as MEN at the moment."

Kagome smiled. "Are you ever?"

"That's beside the point! It's all because I ran into Inuyasha's twisted little friend again today when I was walking back from my last class. Do you know he actually had the audacity to grope me in front of all those little old ladies?!?!"

Kagome giggled. "He didn't!"

Sango nodded grimly. "If that wasn't bad enough they all started sighing wistfully, and the lady at the closest table started wishing he'd do it to her instead."

That sent Kagome into a fit of laughter that lasted for several moments, and soon even Sango couldn't help but join her. Laughter like that was very catching, and she had to admit, the situation WAS rather ridiculous…

Wiping the tears out of her eyes, Kagome was finally able to catch her breath. "Remind me to stand at least an arm's length away the next time I see him."

"I'd never walk by there again if it weren't the shortest route between this place and the school."

Both continued to chat happily while Sango pulled out her own books. She had just settled down to study when another loud crashing sound startled them both.

"Not again!" Kagome cried, staring up at the ceiling. This time it had sounded distinctly like someone trying to break down a door. "I wish I knew what the heck he was up to!"

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? I personally would rather not know, you probably wouldn't want to either. Who knows what he could be up to."

Kagome thought better of her earlier statement and reluctantly agreed. Knowing her luck he was probably some psycho…

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Well, I hope that made things clearer! And don't worry about me not updating, I've got most of the story finished and ready to be posted except for formatting. So I WAS doing something all those months since my last story! ^^;; Anyway, please review and let me know what you think! It always means a lot to me when you do.


	3. Backed into a Corner

It's time once again for an update! I'm sorry that you all have to wait several days between updates, but you've all been really nice about it. And thank you so much for the great reviews and comments you keep leaving me! It just makes my day when I am sitting around at work, bored out of my mind, and I suddenly find a review. ^_^

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Disclaimer: Sad to say, I do not own Inuyasha or any other anime character in existence. If I did, I wouldn't be using such a slow, evil computer. I'd be able to afford one so advanced it could write my stories for me, lol……

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Three

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The apartment was silent save for the low ticking of the clock that hung on the kitchen wall. Rin was now sitting in one of the two chairs (that didn't quite match) at the kitchen table staring at Inuyasha, and Inuyasha was sitting in the other staring back at her. There was very little movement.

An hour before it had not been half so peaceful. Right after discovering Rin in his bedroom, along with two small suitcases and an obnoxiously cute teddy bear, Inuyasha had gone on the rampage of his life. Ranting, phone calls, and tearing through the small pile of papers that Sesshoumaru had left more than occupied Inuyasha, while Rin just giggled and called him 'silly Uncle Inu' over and over. The poor hanyou had lost count of the number of times he'd told Rin to STOP calling him Inu! He never could stand that childhood nickname of his.

Though Inuyasha's phone calls got him no answers, going through the pile of papers did. In them, he found a letter from Sesshoumaru with a check that had a staggering figure written on it along with his name.

The content of the letter was still swimming through his addled mind, having read it so many times that he'd memorized it nearly word for word. The letter went something like this:

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Inuyasha,

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I had a feeling you would be stubborn about this, so I planned ahead in case I had to resort to more drastic measures. By the time you read this letter, I will be well on my way to a destination that will remain unknown to you, for I have important business that I cannot disclose the nature of at this time. But where I am going is not a place to take a child.

Rin is of no relation to either you or I as you can see, since she is obviously full human. But several months ago, during the time father was bedridden and living his last days in the hospital, I came upon a small child. The circumstances are not important, but in the end I adopted her as my own child.

For now though, since I will be away I had to find a trustworthy caretaker to keep her, one that is not interested in the family money and someone who would not hurt her. As barbaric as you are, I trust that you would not harm a small child or use her against me. You also have family connections, as much as you try to deny them.

I should be away about a month and the check I wrote you is more than enough for both of you to live on comfortably. I will check in with you when possible.

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Sesshoumaru

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Inuyasha almost fell off the sofa while reading the statements explaining Rin and her connection to Sesshoumaru. That cold-hearted jerk couldn't possibly have adopted a child, and a human one at that! Surely this had to be some kind of sick joke being played on him.

So now he found himself sitting at the table with the dawning realization that he was stuck with a small child for a whole month, and not a single clue about how to take care of one! Even growing up he'd never had many children around him, preferring to be a loner.

"Uncle Inu?" Rin suddenly spoke up, startling him out of his thoughts.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Would you PLEASE stop calling me that! My name is I-nu-ya-sha! Inuyasha, got that?" Somehow, he knew his efforts were probably wasted on her. Maybe it was the other 143 times he'd corrected her so far.

"Uncle Inu, I'm hungry."

Groaning, Inuyasha laid his head down on his arms and refused to look at her. What had started out as just a bad day was turning into a child-sized nightmare. 'What kind of foods do human brats eat anyway?' He tried to think back to his own childhood but failed miserably.

Really, in the end he didn't have much of a choice as to what to feed her. The only things he could find in his cabinets were ramen…and ramen. For a kitchen belonging to a bachelor without a job, who probably couldn't cook if his life depended on it anyway, are we surprised?

"There, eat." Inuyasha dropped a Tupperware bowl full of hot soup in front of her with a set of slightly rough chopsticks before sitting down across from her again to watch. No matter how much he loved ramen, he didn't have much of an appetite at the moment.

Rin just sat, staring into the bowl.

'What the heck is her problem?' He growled internally. 'I went through all that trouble for her to just sit and stare at it? Feh, little brat.'

When she continued to sit for several minutes without moving, Inuyasha finally got tired of waiting on her and said something. "Something wrong with it, kid?"

Rin looked up, startled. "It's still too hot, Uncle Inu!"

Inuyasha cringed and tried to ignore the Uncle Inu offense. He had forgotten that she was human for a moment and couldn't stand the extreme heat of the soup. Human children even more so. "W-well, just…blow on it or something!" He finally snapped. If he had to sit there much longer and stare at her staring at her soup, he was going to go crazy!

When she actually did as he suggested, Inuyasha could have sighed in relief. 'Maybe kids aren't so bad if they do what you tell them. She seems well-behaved enough, so maybe I won't have to many problems.'

Dream on, Inuyasha, dream on…

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The faint sound of the plane's engines could be heard from the interior of the well-insulated passenger area of Sesshoumaru's private plane. It was small but very comfortable inside, and he had enough room to stretch out and get some rest during the overnight flight.

Too bad he couldn't sleep.

After all the trouble and planning he'd went through to make sure this trip was a success, he still couldn't help but wonder if it was the right thing to do, leaving Rin with Inuyasha. Well, there wasn't much he could do about it now. The plans had been laid and there was no backing out of them, as much as he might like to try. He was expected to follow through.

Sitting back in his seat with what could be described as a poker look on his face, the 29-year-old demon lord reflected a bit on the events leading up to this day and his deciding to leave Rin in such questionable hands.

Before Rin had come into his life, Sesshoumaru truly had hated humans, and the offense he felt at having a human stepmother and half-human brother was something he never could tolerate. It was a weakness in his beloved father that Sesshoumaru never forgave him for.

'When I came upon Rin right before my father died, I had just finally come to realize how alone I really was. I had successfully helped in driving away my brother months before, who was the only family I had left. Suddenly I found money to be the only consolation left for me, which was not really one at all.' That had been a cold realization for the proud dog demon, weakening him considerably and playing a large part in the forming of his actions in the near future. 'I barely realized what I was doing until after I had done it. One moment I was alone, and the next I had a human child entirely dependent on me without any idea of how to handle such a situation.'

It had been a startling turning point in the powerful dog demon's life, one he hadn't been prepared for in the least. But strangely enough Sesshoumaru found the end result to be well worth it.

'Now Inuyasha will be faced with the same dilemma. Will it change him the way it changed me?' Sesshoumaru smiled slightly in amusement. 'I suppose we shall see.'

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Inuyasha was making up the sofa with a few blankets and pillows he'd manage to scrounge up out of an old hope chest of his mother's. As much as he hated to use them, Inuyasha didn't really have any other choice. It was either that or let the kid freeze all night.

While he did this, he suddenly noticed that his bedroom had gotten awfully quiet. He'd sent her in there a short time before with the gruff order to 'do whatever you have to do' and she'd actually obeyed him again.

He carefully peeked around the edge of the door.

"That little brat!" He hissed quietly. "She's sleeping in my bed! Does she actually expect me to sleep on that short, lumpy old couch?" Just the thought was making his longer adult legs ache. 

Creeping forward, he was determined to get her on the couch where she was supposed to be, even if he had to throw her there!

He poked her lightly, careful not to scratch her with his claws. "Oi, brat!"

She squirmed a bit in her sleep, but didn't actually wake up. Both her arms were wrapped around the cute teddy bear, which Inuyasha had learned earlier that evening was named 'Sessy-poo'. He had to admit, that was one of the funniest things he'd heard in a LONG time…

Inuyasha tried again. "Wake up, kid!"

This time Rin stirred a bit more, and finally opened her eyes and blinked them sleepily. When she caught sight of Inuyasha hovering over her, she smiled. "I'm sorry, Uncle Inu! Rin forgot to tell you goodnight and hug you!"

Before he could pull away, Rin lunged upwards and gave him the tightest hug she could manage along with a kiss on the cheek. Sitting back down on the bed and burrowing back under the covers, Rin giggled at Inuyasha's stupefied look.

"Goodnight, Uncle Inu!"

Like a zombie, Inuyasha walked from the room. 'Maybe just this once she can have the bed, since it is her first night and all.' Inuyasha thought fuzzily. 'That doesn't mean anything though! I still don't like her, and I'm not nice!'

Huffing, he snapped off the light and went to bed.

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Kagome lay in her own bed, staring at the ceiling. She seemed rather preoccupied with it and Sango gave her a knowing look as she settled in her own bed. "Go to sleep, Kagome-chan. Really, I was just kidding when I implied he was up there doing something he shouldn't. You know Inuyasha, he can barely look a girl in the face, much less invite one up to his apartment!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I know that, Sango-chan, but why do you think I care?"

"Touchy tonight, aren't we?"

Rolling over in her bed, Kagome turned her back towards Sango. "Goodnight."

Sango knew she should have been annoyed with Kagome's attitude, but she just couldn't bring herself to. It was rare for her friend to show true interest in a man so when she did, Sango couldn't resist teasing her a bit. She'd probably gone a little too far with it though.

"I'm sorry, Kagome-chan."

The girl in the other bed sighed and turned over to face Sango again. "I know, and I'm sorry too. I don't know what my problem is, but ever since I ran into Inuyasha tonight I just can't stop thinking about him. I never had that problem before."

"Maybe it's because he actually talked about something a little more personal with you this time." Sango suggested.

"More like he actually talked to me at all." Kagome's voice was dry. "Normally he has a hard time forming a coherent sentence when I see him."

This amused Sango. "You should probably beware of men like him, Kagome-chan. If he doesn't like to talk, that means he's got secrets that you probably wouldn't want to know about."

"What kind of secrets?" Kagome asked, playing along.

"Well, let's see." Sango thought about it for a moment. "There are the uncommon things, like he works for a secret government agency that deals with aliens and other strange life forms so he can't really talk about himself-"

"Nope, he lost his job, remember?"

"Okay then, there are also the common things. Maybe he's already married and has a wife stashed away somewhere, or he's broke because he's paying child support on a bunch of illegitimate children."

Kagome laughed. "I guess we'll know if that's the case the day the mother gets sick of it and dumps them in his lap to take care of."

"Can you see Inuyasha taking care of a kid?"

The idea struck them both as hilarious, and their laughter echoed around the room, disturbing a certain hanyou in the apartment above who was trying to get some much-needed sleep.

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I hope you liked this chapter! I promise things will get even more entertaining when certain other characters get involved and attempt to help Inuyasha out in the next chapter. ('Attempt' being the key word) Anyway, PLEASE review for me and tell me what you think! Knowing me, the more people bug me, the guiltier I will probably feel about how much time passes between my posts. ^^;; Then you might actually get a chapter faster.


	4. A Friend in Need

Some of you guys really catch on fast. Not that I didn't expect you to! A lot of you guessed that the 'helpful' party I mentioned in the last chapter is none other than everyone's favorite pervert, Miroku! He finally gets to make an appearance that isn't over the phone. ^_^

And in response to a question, Shippo won't be a child in this story. One kid to deal with is more than enough torture for poor Inuyasha, I'm sure, lol! And since Shippo and Inuyasha interact a lot in the series, I thought that Inuyasha having to deal with a little girl would be more unique and entertaining.

Oh, and I don't really know what that fluffy thing is on Sess's shoulder, but for the sake of this story it's a tail.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of Rumiko Takahashi's characters. If I did, they would be out earning their keep and making some money instead of starring in fanfiction.

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Four

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Inuyasha's ears twitched, followed by a light snore and a giggle.

A giggle?

No, Inuyasha was not having a good dream, though he was still asleep. The giggle had come from the small figure of Rin as she crouched in front of the snoozing hanyou's face, watching him closely. Every time his ears made any kind of movement she would laugh again, covering her mouth to muffle the sound. For someone who had lived with a youkai for several months, she didn't seem to have an ounce of fear where they were concerned.

Either she finds them about as cuddly and harmless as her teddy bear Sessy-poo, or Sesshoumaru has never given her any real reason to fear him. Probably both.

Outside, the sun was just rising and light was slowly spilling through the cracks in the blinds right above the occupied couch. It had yet to reach Inuyasha's closed eyes but it most likely wouldn't take much longer before he got a rude awakening, either by the sun or Rin.

"Uncle Inu!" Rin finally whispered, poking him on the arm.

In response, Inuyasha turned over in his sleep and pressed his face against the back of the couch. He had even pressed both ears flat against his head to block out the noise Rin was making so he could continue to sleep undisturbed.

Well, no one ever said Inuyasha was a morning person!

Unfortunately for the sleep-loving hanyou, Rin found the whole 'pressing his ears to his head' thing even more hilarious than before and her giggles got louder and much more insistent. It didn't take long before they turned into all-out laughter and she finally ended up dropping to the floor while holding her stomach.

'Noisy little kid!' Inuyasha had finally given in to the world of reality and was now pressing a pillow over his head to block out all the sound. 'Can't she even sleep to a decent hour like she's supposed to? I thought humans needed more rest than hanyou or youkai!'

Small children were a mystery sometimes, even to people who know more about them than Inuyasha could ever hope to find out. The least he could possibly ask for is making it through the next month without accidentally scarring the poor kid for life! Or himself for that matter.

Once Rin had finally finished having her fun, she picked herself off the floor and leaned over the unmoving figure on the couch. Inuyasha still had the pillow over his head and was faking it for all he was worth, hoping she'd take the hint and leave him alone.

"Uncle Inu, wake up!" Of course, that would be too much to hope for the way his life was going at the moment.

The poking and prodding began once more and Inuyasha ignored it all to the farthest extent he could. Surely if he stayed there long enough without letting on that he was actually awake, she would get bored and go away, right?

Rin giggled. "I know you're awake! Papa Sess used to do the same thing!"

Inuyasha sat up immediately, not wanting to do anything like his brother if he could help it. "Fine, I'm awake, dammit! What do you want?" He stared at her expectantly.

Eyes wide, Rin clamped a hand over her mouth and sucked in her breath. "Shame on you, Uncle Inu! You said a bad word!"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "So? I'm an adult and can say whatever I want, and you can't do a darn thing about it."

"But you're not supposed to say stuff like that in front of little kids." Rin reminded him seriously. "My mommy always said so because little kids have big ears." She stopped to tug on one of hers. "Although I don't think mine are that big, do you?"

Inuyasha sweatdropped, not knowing how to answer that.

The room was silent for several moments as Inuyasha contemplated what he was supposed to do with her next, and Rin continued to think about the size of her ears. Which of course, in turn, made her think about someone else's ears.

"You have really cute ears! Can I play with them?"

The sudden change in subjects threw Inuyasha for a loop. "Huh?"

"I want to play with your ears." Rin patiently repeated as if it were the most normal request in the world. Most likely it was to her, since she'd probably asked Sesshoumaru the same thing about his tail.

"Hell no!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and gave her a stubborn look.

As if reminding him, Rin tugged on one of her ears.

"Uh, I mean…" Inuyasha tried to backtrack from his earlier rude denial. "You just can't touch my ears, okay? I don't like people touching my ears!"

Rin's face fell, and she looked like she was about to cry at any moment.

Inuyasha's eyes widened in horror as he watched her sniffle. 'Not that! Anything but that! Scream, yell, even hit me! Just DON'T CRY!'

Rin continued to sniffle pathetically, and Inuyasha finally sighed in defeat.

Inuyasha really wasn't happy about giving in, but crying girls seemed to be his weakness in life. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to resist that soft spot he had for them. "Okay, fine! Just for a moment though and then no more. Ever!"

A squeal of happiness echoed around the room.

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"That stupid jerk!" Kagome fumed from underneath her own pillow. She had it over her head to muffle the sounds coming from the apartment above. "First he makes it sound like he's tearing apart everything in his house, and now it sounds like he's got a girl up there with him!"

'A very happy girl from the sound of it.' An evil little voice in her head added.

"That was NOT funny." She muttered to herself, annoyed.

From the other side of the room, Sango groaned loudly. "Kagome-chan, I'm really starting to worry about you! This is the first time I've ever heard you talking to yourself first thing in the morning." She sat up and gave her friend a pointed look. "Are you sure the whole thing with Inuyasha isn't getting to you?"

"Yes!"

It was then that a loud squeal could be heard from the upstairs apartment, and Sango's eyes widened. "What the heck was that?"

"Probably one of Inuyasha's illegitimate children." Kagome muttered humorlessly. "What else could it be? He was probably so depressed over losing his job that he went out and picked up a woman to spend the night with him. They're probably up there doing strange stuff right now."

"Kagome-chan, shame on you! Your imagination is more perverted than Miroku's sometimes!"

Instead of defending herself, Kagome planted the pillow more tightly around her head and tried to tune out any sounds from the apartment above. Darn the people who didn't make this building completely soundproof!

Sango, with a wry smile, watched her friend trying to block out all the noise. She knew it was partly her fault for planting those kinds of ideas in Kagome's head, even if it was originally just a joke on her part. Now she felt she ought to try and fix the damage somehow.

"I think you should just go talk to him and find out what's going on." Sango finally suggested. "It's probably a lot more innocent than you think."

Kagome shook her head under the pillow. "No way! Then he'd think I was some kind of stalker or something for wanting to know."

"Just tell him all the noise is getting on your nerves."

She hated to admit it, but Kagome knew that was a very reasonable excuse for going to talk to him. Now if she could only get up the nerve to go through with it.

"Maybe later today, Sango-chan. Right now I'd rather forget he exists."

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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"Good morning, ladies!" Miroku called cheerfully from behind the counter inside his small café. The morning rush had started, and all the early birds (which included the entire neighborhood population of women over sixty) were coming in for a cup of coffee.

Of course, the chance to flirt with a young, good-looking man like Miroku every day couldn't have been an attraction for them. They were just there for the coffee.

"Good morning, darling!" A small, white-haired woman called to him in what she probably thought was a flirtatious manner as she sat down at her favorite table. "I want my usual coffee this morning. Do you thinkyou could give me some sugar with it?"

Miroku gave her a disapproving look. "Now Fuketa-san, I thought you told me that your doctor said you shouldn't have anything sweet like sugar."

The older lady smiled sweetly. "Who said I was talking about sugar for my coffee?"

Miroku sweatdropped and forced a smile on his face when he realized what she'd meant by that statement. "Sorry, but you'll have to wait until Shippo comes in for his shift to get a kiss. They happen to be out of stock at the moment."

Fuketa-san frowned at him. "But he can't be over sixteen! That's younger than my grandson!"

"That should be perfect then." Miroku mumbled. "At least he won't have to worry about any funny business from those old hands of yours."

The irony of the situation just didn't seem to strike Miroku as odd. He, the neighborhood pervert, was actually worrying about the fact that they wanted to use on him the same stunt he uses to give so many women grief. Maybe that means the saying 'what goes around, comes around' isn't that far off after all.

Miroku managed to keep his cheerful face on for all the customers, chatting with them and even occasionally flirting to keep them satisfied and happy. Despite the strangeness of the situation though and the fact that all the women were much older than his tastes ran, Miroku really did enjoy his work. In truth, he seemed to be born for it.

It wasn't much later that the phone in the back room rang, and Miroku excused himself to answer it. For once he didn't bother to use his seductive voice since it was too early to be anything but a business call.

Or so he thought.

"Miroku!" A desperate voice nearly shouted from the other end.

The café owner stared at the phone in his hand. "Inuyasha? Is that you?"

"Listen Miroku, I really need your help! I-"

"No." Miroku interrupted Inuyasha before he could get any farther with his request. "I told you I'm not loaning you any money unless you work for it. Especially after you hung up on me yesterday!"

"I'm sorry about that, okay? And this isn't about money!"

Miroku nearly dropped the phone when his rude friend actually apologized to him a second day in a row. Was the world about to come to an end?

"So if this isn't about money, then what could have you so worked up?" Miroku had managed to finally find his voice again. "Girl trouble?"

Inuyasha's voice was dry when he answered. "You could say that."

Now this problem sounded intriguing to Miroku. "Say no more my friend, you have come to the right person. As soon as Shippo shows up I'll head over to your place!"

Without waiting for an answer Miroku hung up the phone and scrambled to make himself presentable. He knew very well he could have helped Inuyasha over the phone, but could he really pass up a chance to visit the building that housed the charming Sango?

Miroku smiled at his reflection in the mirror before walking back outside.

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On that note, I'm sure you realize that the next chapter should be especially interesting with Miroku involved! So if you want it, please review! I'll gladly accept any encouragement you guys care to give. Every review donated goes towards supporting my poor confidence.


	5. Two Heads Aren't Always Better Than One

Oh, I love ALL the reviews! Thank you so much! They really do make my day and I enjoy reading every single one of them. And this time I also have to give special thanks to Keolla for pointing out a couple of mistakes I made in the last chapter. It was very helpful! ^_^

Out of all the chapters I have posted so far, this one is by far my favorite yet. Miroku is just such a fun character to write!

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Disclaimer: None of the Inuyasha characters are mine, but the old ladies and Sessy-poo are, so just back off! *Huffs* (Actually, I'd worry about you if you actually wanted them enough to steal them. Well, the old ladies anyway, lol!)

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Five

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Kagome was standing just inside the stairwell on her floor, looking up at the level above with a hesitant expression. It was very obvious to anyone that might have been watching that she wanted to go up, but something seemed to be stopping her from moving forward.

'Come on, Kagome! There's nothing at all to be scared of.' The girl mentally coached herself. 'Even if there was a woman up there with him, she's got be gone by now! After all, it's getting pretty late in the morning.'

No matter how hard she tried, though, those thoughts were not as comforting as she had hoped they would be.

Finally getting fed up with her cowardice, she squared her shoulders and decided to just go for it. She'd managed to set one of her feet on the first stair up and was about to continue when the sound of jogging footsteps started echoing around her in the stairwell.

"Good morning, Kagome-san!" Miroku called as he came around the bend in the stairs, his face lighting up at the sight of her. "This is quite a pleasant surprise! I hadn't realized that I might run into you while I was here." This was at least partly true. He had been hoping to run into Sango, but hey, a girl is a girl in his book!

"Good morning, Miroku." Kagome smiled in what she hoped was a sincere manner. "On your way to visit Inuyasha?"

Stopping next to her, he grabbed her hands before she could pull them out of reach and held them in both of his. "You are looking beautiful this morning!" he complimented her. "And yes, I am on my way to visit Inuyasha. I got a phone call from him this morning, asking me to come and give him advice on some troubles with a lady friend of his."

Kagome's smile froze and she attempted to tug her hands out of his death grip. "Oh, really?"

"Of course, he came to the right person." Miroku gave her a charming smile and released her hands. "I'm quite well versed in ways to please a lady, if I might say so myself."

"Oh, is that so?" Kagome's eyebrow twitched when she felt a hand rub against her hip. "I personally think you have a few things to learn still…"

*SMACK*

Turning, Kagome stalked back towards her own apartment to let off some steam, although that task probably would have been easier if she had gone on up to Inuyasha's apartment. She sure could have used a punching bag right about then.

Miroku watched her go while rubbing the handprint on his face. "Perhaps I made a move too soon?"

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After having eaten MORE ramen for breakfast that morning, Inuyasha and Rin were now sitting in the living room waiting for Miroku to show up. All seemed peaceful enough, but in reality things were not going well at all.

"Why do you have dog ears?"

"Because." Inuyasha ground out between clenched teeth.

"Because why?"

"I just do, that's why."

Rin stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Have you ever bit anyone before?"

"No!"

"Then why do you have fangs?"

Inuyasha growled and bared the fangs in question at her. "To scare annoying little kids with!"

Rin giggled, not at all impressed with this answer. "You're silly, Uncle Inu."

Inuyasha clenched his fists tightly, trying hard not to get anymore upset. 'Just calm down! Miroku will be here any minute and then you can use him to take your anger out on. Just a little longer…'

Right on time, a knock sounded on the front door.

Miroku had been standing and waiting patiently for Inuyasha to answer the door and was very unprepared for the door getting flung open and a clawed hand dragging him inside before he could even blink, much less get in a standard greeting.

After the door had been slammed, Miroku got his scrambled thoughts together and calmly untangled Inuyasha's hand from the front of his shirt, carefully examining it for any rips in the fabric caused by sharp dog demon claws. "Good morning, Inuyasha. I see someone is in a pleasant mood today."

"It's about time you showed up!" Inuyasha yelled right in his face.

Miroku raised his hands in a placating gesture, but also in a feeble attempt to protect himself from harm. "Please, calm down, Inuyasha! Surely things with your lady friend can't be that bad, can they?"

Glaring at him, Inuyasha didn't say a word and instead pointed to the couch behind him where Rin was sitting, watching the violent scene before her with interest.

"Oh my God…" Miroku's jaw dropped at the sight in disbelief. "You've actually had a child with someone? Before ME no less? This just can't be true! It can't!" He shook his head in denial of the situation, unable to accept that Inuyasha had gotten farther with the opposite sex than he ever had.

Inuyasha could have happily broken something right then, but settled for his usual response. "You twit, she's full human! How could I possibly have a full human kid with anyone?"

This seemed to calm Miroku down a bit and he was able to look at the situation a little more clearly. Well, as clearly as possible for someone as perverted as he is. "Did an old lover believe she's yours perhaps, so she dropped her in your lap and ran?"

Inuyasha clenched his teeth together. "Who would be THAT stupid to think she's mine? Other than you of course."

"Well, anyone who has actually slept with you can't be all that bright to begin with, Inuyasha. It's only logical that they would-"

The room was quiet for a moment when Rin, who was still watching the two men with interest, spoke. "Uncle Inu, why did you hit that man? And why isn't he moving?"

"Because he's got a big mouth, that's why." was his growled response.

Rin looked closely at the unconscious man's mouth, and then felt of her own ears again before shrugging in confusion. There was just no understanding adults sometimes.

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"Ah, so that's the story behind this odd situation. I never would have believed your brother capable of adopting a child, much less a human child." Miroku shook his head in disbelief but had to stop when a sharp pain went through it.

Inuyasha threw a plastic bag filled with ice at him. "Yeah, well, it happened. The problem is what I'm supposed to do about it. I've never had to take care of a kid before!"

Miroku held the bag to his head and watched Rin play with 'Sessy-poo' the teddy bear in the living room floor. She had a few of Inuyasha's dishes and was now having a tea party for the two of them. 'Sessy-poo' was drinking out of a shot glass while she used a cracked mug.

Watching the scene with amusement, Miroku finally answered. "Taking care of a child doesn't take the brains of a rocket scientist, Inuyasha. Lucky for you." He cringed when Inuyasha shot him a fiery glare.

"Keh! Fine then, what do you suggest?" He knew Miroku wasn't the best person to go to for that kind of advice, but surely he knew more about that sort of thing than he did. Why else would he go around asking women to bear his child?

Miroku mused over the question for a moment. "Well, you could get married and let the woman do all the work for you."

The look Inuyasha gave him clearly said that wasn't funny at all.

"OR you could find someone who knows more about child care than you do!" He hastily continued before he dug himself in too deep. "Surely that wouldn't be too hard to do. You could even find books at the library with good advice on the subject if all else fails."

Inuyasha grimaced. Great, now he was going to have to study, too? Things were looking worse and worse and Miroku wasn't helping at all. Perhaps he would have been better off asking a stranger on the street for help.

While Inuyasha bemoaned his horrible taste in friends, a sudden thought occurred to Miroku. "Hold on a moment. At her age, why isn't Rin in school right now? Did your brother leave any instructions about that?"

This question caught Inuyasha's attention and his ears perked up alertly. Why wasn't she in school? It was early fall and even Kagome had started back to school with her college classes…wait a minute…Kagome…

"Rin!" Miroku called. "Can you tell me why your…er, Papa Sess…doesn't have you in school right now?"

Rin bounced up, happy to have attention. "Rin gets private lessons, but Papa Sess said I could have a vacation while he's gone."

Miroku gave her a pained smile. Some vacation this poor child would have. She'd be lucky if she survived with a caretaker like Inuyasha.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted suddenly completely out of the blue, startling both Rin and Miroku. Each one gave him a strange look.

"What about Kagome?" The other man finally inquired curiously.

Inuyasha was looking rather excited. "She's in college and taking classes to teach little kids! If anyone would know anything about them, I bet she would!"

Miroku smiled wryly. "You're making Rin sound like some kind of mysterious, exotic pet that no one knows how to take proper care of."

Inuyasha smirked, too proud of his idea to yell at Miroku for his smart-ass remarks. "Do you have any better suggestions?"

"Well, no." Miroku hesitated slightly. "But right now might not be the best time to go talk to her." He flinched guiltily when suspicious golden eyes settled upon him.

"Why not?" Inuyasha suddenly remembered the red handprint Miroku was sporting earlier and his eyes narrowed in anger. "You didn't…"

Miroku looked around in attempted innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about. I simply ran into Kagome in the stairwell and she and I 'talked' for a few moments."

He never saw the fist coming.

"Uncle Inu, why did you hit that man again? Is it because of his big mouth?"

"No, it was because of his hands this time!"

Rin couldn't see any sense in that answer, so she went back to her tea party.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was still shaking with anger that Miroku had dared try such a thing with Kagome. At the moment he really wanted to hit him again but refrained since the pervert was still unconscious. It will hurt a LOT worse after he wakes up and can feel it.

Smiling evilly, he sat down to wait.

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'He won't get away with this!' Kagome was pacing around her living room, still fuming about the information Miroku had given her. 'He has a girlfriend, and he didn't even TELL me? What a jerk! I should go up there right now and give him a piece of my mind!'

"Well, maybe after Miroku leaves." She shuddered at the memory of his hand on her.

Kagome continued to pace and look at the clock every few seconds. By the time half an hour had passed, she was getting really impatient. 'Has it been long enough yet? Surely Miroku's gone by now!'

Just to be sure though, she decided to give him another five minutes. She managed to wait through four, but that was close enough, right?

"Okay, that's it!" Kagome squared her shoulders as if preparing to walk into battle. "Even if it's none of my business that he has a girlfriend, he's going to find out the hard way to keep the noise level down! He has no right to keep people up all night!"

'Yeah right.' her mind scoffed. 'More like he woke you up twenty minutes before your alarm. Big deal!'

"But it's still rude!" She stubbornly refused to back down or admit the real reason she wanted to go up and talk to him.

Throwing open the front door, Kagome marched out and slammed it behind her.

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Once again, another chapter is completed! I hope you found it as amusing as I did while I wrote it. My favorite part had to be where Miroku thought Inuyasha had actually beaten him to having a child. ^_^ Anyway, please leave me a review and let me know what you think! I'll be looking forward to reading them.


	6. Simple Misunderstanding

Wow, two major milestones happened between posting this chapter and the last one! My first Inuyasha story, 'Easy as 1,2,3…' finally hit 1900 reviews, and this one hit 100! ^_^ So I'm very happy about that. Thank you guys for all the wonderful comments!

And also, sorry about posting later than usual. I normally post on the weekend, but fanfiction.net being down set me back a bit. Once it was finally back up, I was busy and didn't have a chance to post.

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Disclaimer: This time I got my mother the editor to look over this chapter and make changes, so if something is wrong, then…IT'S NOT MY FAULT! :-P Oh yeah, and the characters are not mine.

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Six 

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"Please follow me, sir."

Sesshoumaru nodded and began to follow the man dressed in black through several long corridors to his intended destination. There were many closed doors leading off to the sides, but the dog demon ignored them all and passed by without giving them any thought. The occupants of those rooms were none of his concern.

It had been almost an hour since his plane had landed and Sesshoumaru was now proceeding with the plans he'd made before leaving. So far everything had gone off without a hitch.

"If you will step inside, please." The man in black paused in front of a set of open double doors, bowing politely as the white-haired lord passed him to enter.

Inside the opulent-looking office, a large man stood up from behind his desk and smiled in welcome. "Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama! Welcome, welcome! We have been expecting you all morning. I trust your trip went well?"

Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly in answer before taking the proffered seat in front of the great wooden desk. Sniffing slightly in disdain, his sensitive nose noted the smell of stale cigar smoke clinging to the furniture. This slight action made the man behind the desk nervous, since he wasn't exactly used to dealing with many demons in his particular line of work.

Surprisingly, Sesshoumaru was the first to speak once both were seated. "I take it you received payment as arranged?"

The man nodded eagerly. "Of course! With such a generous offer as yours, how could we refuse you? Everything has been prepared just as you wished." Digging through his top desk drawer, he pulled out a small set of keys and laid them on the far side of the desktop. "Is this all you will be requiring from me? I am always ready to be of service."

"No, nothing else."

Sesshoumaru rose and left the room without another word.

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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"Would you like some more tea, sir?" A cheerful voice questioned. For a moment there was silence. "Oh, you want some cookies with that? Certainly!"

Inuyasha watched with something akin to morbid fascination as Rin put three computer disks on 'Sessy-poo' the teddy bear's plate and refilled his shot glass with imaginary tea. She did the same for herself and proceeded to act as a proper hostess.

"The weather is so beautiful today, isn't it? We must take a stroll in the garden when we are finished and look at all the flowers. Won't that be nice?"

Inuyasha prayed with all his might that Miroku would wake up soon before Rin got any stranger! He was honestly starting to question the kid's sanity. 

A knock sounded on the door.

"Who the heck could that be?" Inuyasha cautiously crept towards the door, unsure if he should actually open it or just pretend no one was home. The last thing he needed was for someone to see him taking care of a little kid!

Another knock sounded, this time along with a voice. "Hello? Open up, Inuyasha, I know you're in there!"

'Oh crap!' Inuyasha exclaimed mentally. 'What's Kagome doing here?!?!' He frantically looked around, as if hoping there was a good place to stash a small child where no one would see her. For a moment he actually considered trying to pass her off as one of Miroku's by-blows, but then figured Rin would probably give him away pretty quickly if given the chance.

Of course, you know Inuyasha. By this point he'd already forgotten that he'd wanted Kagome's help earlier and was now only concerned with hiding his secret. Is there any way he could possibly look guiltier in her eyes?

Seeing no help for it, he opened the door just enough to quickly slip outside and shut it behind him before Kagome had a chance to see anything.

"I-Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned, giving him a funny look. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course everything's okay!" Inuyasha countered gruffly, not looking her in the eyes. Kagome immediately pegged it as a sure sign of guilt.

"Are you sure? I've been hearing all kinds of noises coming from your place since last night! First it's crashes, and then all kinds of high-pitched giggling and squealing!" She crossed her arms and huffed angrily. "I want to know what's going on. NOW!"

"Well…you see…what I mean to say is-" Inuyasha just couldn't seem to bring himself to tell her the truth. What would she say when she found out about Rin staying with him? Would she start asking questions about his family history? He didn't think he wanted to deal with that, even coming from Kagome.

The dark-haired girl watched him through narrowed eyes as he struggled to answer her questions. There was no doubt about it--he was hiding something. "Forget it, Inuyasha, I've got a feeling I already know what's going on." She finally stated in a flat voice.

Cold dread seeped into Inuyasha's veins. "Y-you do?"

Kagome nodded solemnly.

Inuyasha ran a clawed hand nervously through his long hair, trying to think of a way to explain himself that wouldn't sound too bad. "Listen Kagome, I wasn't really planning to hide her from you! It just happened so suddenly, and- well, I didn't know what to do, okay!" He gave her a sheepish look before looking down at the floor. "Actually, I had been planning on asking you for help…"

Kagome's blue eyes widened in outrage. "You jerk! Why would I want to help you with your problems?"

Inuyasha blinked in confusion. "But I thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong!" Kagome tried not to look as miserable as she felt. "Just stick to asking Miroku for all your stupid advice, okay? He probably knows a lot more than I do about stuff like that."

Now poor Inuyasha was really lost. "Miroku? But that lech doesn't know a thing about kids, no matter how many women he's asked to bear them." Suddenly his eyes narrowed in suspicion as his brain took a detour from the subject at hand. "He hasn't asked YOU, has he?"

It was then that he realized Kagome was staring at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"Kids?" Kagome whispered in shock, unable to pull her eyes away from his. "So it's really true?" A suspicious burning was beginning in the corners of her eyes, and she tried to blink it away. "So that explains all the noises last night…"

Inuyasha was started to get the sinking feeling that he'd screwed up big time, but he wasn't sure exactly how. The feeling got even worse when his nose picked up the slight salty scent of the tears she was trying to hold back.

'Dammit, I think she's gonna cry!' His mind frantically yelled at him. 'What the heck went wrong? Think, stupid, think! You can't fix the problem if you can't figure out what it is!' He could have pulled out his hair by this point. 'What was it exactly that Miroku thought? Oh no…'

She couldn't possibly think Rin was his kid too, could she?

"Wait, you've got it all wrong!" He hastened to explain. "I don't have any kids!"

"Liar!"

Inuyasha couldn't hold back a growl of frustration. "Would you just listen to me a second before jumping to conclusions? What I'm trying to tell you is that I have a kid-" Kagome opened her mouth to say something but Inuyasha hurried on before she could speak. "-in the apartment, but she isn't mine!"

Kagome glared at him. "And WHY do you have a kid in your apartment if she isn't yours, huh? I can't believe anyone in their right mind would leave their child with someone like you." It was very obvious that she still didn't believe a word he was saying.

Even though he was feeling a little hurt over her statement, he didn't show it and instead focused on something else. At her words 'in their right mind' Inuyasha's brain had conjured up an image of Sesshoumaru, and Kagome was shocked to suddenly notice him nodding in agreement with her. "You're right. No one in their right mind would have but I didn't say the guy who did it wasn't INSANE."

At this point, unnoticed by both participants in the little hallway drama, Inuyasha's apartment door had cracked open to reveal Rin peering curiously through the small opening. Seeing that the two adults didn't seem to be busy talking (since they were too busy glaring at each other to speak), she finally stepped out of her hiding place and tugged on the hem of Inuyasha's shirt.

Angry at being disturbed since he seemed to be so close, at least in his mind, to convincing Kagome of the truth, Inuyasha glared down at her. "Whaddya want now? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Rin's getting hungry." She gave him the best puppy dog eyes she could muster. "Can Rin please have something to eat soon?"

Inuyasha waved his hand in a distracted manner. "Yeah, whatever. Just bug Miroku for something when he wakes up."

"Oh my God…"

Rin and Inuyasha both looked at Kagome who had one hand up covering her mouth in shock while the other hung limply at her side.

"I swear, she really isn't mine!" Inuyasha hurried to assure her.

"I can TELL!" Kagome snapped, suddenly over her surprise. "That's what I was so shocked over! From the way Miroku talked, I thought you were having problems with some woman, and when you said kids, I figured you were talking about your own!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked stupidly, trying to process all that information a little bit at a time. "How could you tell she's not mine?"

Kagome spoke slowly as if he were some half-wit. "She's full human, Inuyasha. Who would be stupid enough to think she was your child after actually seeing her?"

'Thank God for smart humans!' His mind nearly shouted at him in relief. 'But I guess that means Miroku is one of those stupid people she's talking about.' He almost smiled in amusement, but stopped when he belatedly remembered the stuff she'd said earlier. "Miroku told you WHAT about me?!?! Damn him, I swear I'm gonna kill him!"

It's probably a good thing he was being ignored at this point.

"Hi there!" Kagome kneeled down and smiled at Rin, much more relieved than she wanted to admit that things weren't as bad as she'd thought. "What's your name? I'm Kagome!"

Rin was in immediate awe of the pretty lady paying attention to her. "My name is Rin. Are you Uncle Inu's girlfriend?" Children are so charmingly blunt sometimes.

Blushing, Kagome shook her head frantically. "No, of course not! I'm just a friend who lives downstairs."

Inuyasha found he didn't have a voice at the moment.

"Oh." Rin was quiet for a moment. "Are you Uncle Miroku's girlfriend?"

"NO!" Inuyasha suddenly found that he did have a voice after all, and a loud one at that. "Would you stop asking embarrassing questions, runt? Go back inside!"

"Inuyasha!" As embarrassed as she was, Kagome still managed to glare at him. "Don't yell at her. She didn't mean any harm."

Inuyasha shuffled like a guilty little boy and didn't respond to her scolding.

"So how old are you, Rin?"

The little girl smiled and held up the correct number of fingers. "Rin just turned six! Since I'm almost all grown up now I get to come stay with Uncle Inu all by myself."

Kagome had to hide a smile at the earnest reply and managed to nod seriously instead. "Wow, you are getting really old."

Inuyasha continued to sulk as he watched both girls talk. The kid was getting all the attention while he was being ignored. It just wasn't fair! Finally getting tired of it, he cleared his throat until they both looked at him. "Oi, didn't you say you were hungry?"

Rin considered his question before widening her eyes. "I forgot. Yes, Rin is still hungry!"

"I guess I'll fix you more ramen." Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome watched as Rin grimaced. "Let me guess, that's all you've got to eat. Am I right?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"Typical man."

Before the hanyou could defend himself, Kagome stood up and dusted off her skirt in a determined fashion. "Didn't you say Miroku was here? I think we should all go eat at his café and he can pay since he OWES me big time for his last little stunt! Then you can tell me the story behind how you came to be a daddy at such a terribly old age." She smiled in amusement.

"It's not funny, and I'm only twenty-four." He grumbled.

"With all that white hair I would have guessed at LEAST sixty." She continued to tease him, which caused Rin to giggle a bit.

Walking past him while he muttered inappropriate things under his breath, Kagome opened his apartment door and stepped inside. "Come on Rin, let's change your clothes and-" She stopped dead when she saw Miroku still lying on the floor, unconcious. "I probably don't want to know what happened, do I?"

Inuyasha sighed and bent over to haul Miroku up. "Oi, why do you have to change the runt's clothes anyway?" She looked fine to him. The orange shirt with pink hearts might not look all that great with the green and blue plaid skirt, but Rin seemed to like it, so why bother?

Kagome just gave him a 'look' and didn't bother to respond.

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Okay, another chapter done! I bet you were all expecting Kagome to be just as dense as Miroku, am I right? Well, unfortunately for us she isn't, but that doesn't mean more interesting things won't happen later on. So just give them some time. Anyway, please review! And if people ask nicely, I might post again on or even before Friday. ^_^


	7. A Small History Lesson

Thank you guys for pointing out my little screw up with chapter one. I can't believe I did that! ^^;; I think it happened when I went to upload a new edited version of chapter five. Either I didn't choose to replace chapter five, or it defaulted back to chapter one somehow. Well, whatever happened, it's fixed now! Chapter one is now chapter one again. It was terrible because when I discovered the error, I was at work really early in the morning so I couldn't fix it, lol! It bugged me the whole day.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, or Miroku. There, I think that should cover it. After all, what other characters would someone believe I'd actually want to claim ownership of? One of the girls? *laughs*

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Seven

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"Oh, that poor dear! What do you suppose happened to him?"

"What a scoundrel! I bet that hanyou had something to do with hurting him!"

"No! Should we call the police?"

"Maybe we shouldn't. What if he gets angry and attacks us?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at all the not-so-quiet whispering going on around him as he toted Miroku's limp body through the café, heading straight for the counter so he could dump his unwanted burden. Each old lady he passed either pulled away from him in horror or got daring and whacked him with her purse. One had the nerve to actually feel him up.

Reaching his goal, Inuyasha dropped him into a chair and called out to whoever might be working that day. "Oi! Someone get out here and take care of your boss! He's not my problem anymore!"

A moment later Kagome trailed into the room holding Rin's hand. "Inuyasha! Couldn't you have gone around to the back instead of waltzing through the front door? You probably scared these poor ladies to death!"

"Feh. They didn't seem all that scared to me." He rubbed a sore spot on his arm and fleetingly wondered if one of the old hags was carrying bricks in her purse.

Kagome politely apologized anyway for the disturbance before settling down at one of the tables closest to the counter. A moment later someone finally emerged from the back.

"Took you long enough." Inuyasha grumbled to Shippo. "Don't you care about your boss at all? If he dies, you won't have a job."

Shippo ignored Inuyasha and instead smiled broadly at Kagome in greeting, his kitsune tail swaying happily. Only sixteen, he worked at the café during the day on weekends and in the evenings during the week. All the ladies loved him as though he was one of their own grandchildren.

"Hello, Shippo!" Kagome smiled warmly at him, giving Inuyasha a little stab of jealousy. He knew very well that the kitsune boy had a crush on her although she was four years older, so the affectionate way she tended to talk to him didn't set very well at all.

"Kagome! I didn't know you were planning on coming by today!" Shippo shot a glare at Inuyasha. "What are you doing with that jerk?"

Kagome lightly kicked Inuyasha's leg under the table when he started to growl. "Actually, I'm here with Inuyasha and-" She stopped and stared blankly at the empty seat next to her. "Uh, where did Rin go?"

A small giggle was heard from a few tables away, and everyone turned to see a small group of women that seemed intent on smothering Rin's small form. She was enjoying the attention, though, so Kagome decided to just leave her where she was for a while.

"Anyway…" She turned back to Shippo. "I'm here with Inuyasha and Rin, that little girl over there. She's going to be staying with Inuyasha for a while! Can you believe it?"

With wide eyes, the kitsune looked back and forth between Rin and the grumpy hanyou sitting at the small table in front of him. "You're joking, right? He can't even take care of himself properly! Last night he actually called Miroku wanting him to give him a j-"

"Can we order something to eat sometime this century?" Inuyasha interrupted him hastily. The last thing he needed was for Kagome to find out about that little conversation.

Kagome just smiled dryly and decided to let Inuyasha's bad manners pass for once. She really didn't feel like seeing Shippo get knocked unconscious along with Miroku. "We are all pretty hungry! Just make sure to note on the check that it's Miroku's treat today."

Shippo sweatdropped at that, easily able to guess why this meal was going to be paid for by his boss. He opted not to say anything.

After Kagome and Inuyasha ordered, they both sat and watched Rin bask in the attention she was getting.

"She sure is cute." Kagome finally commented. "How did you end up with her? It's obvious you're not related to each other, even though she calls you her uncle."

Inuyasha took a deep breath before exhaling, trying to decide what had to be told and what he could get away with not revealing. Inuyasha was never one for talking about his past or his family to anyone and that was proving to be a hard habit to break.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure how it happened either." He finally admitted. "My brother's just got a really twisted sense of humor I guess."

"Brother?" Kagome gave him a curious look. She never knew he had a brother.

"He's not really my brother, just my half-brother. We both had different mothers and his mother was a demon along with our father. That obviously makes him a full demon."

"Don't you have anything to do with your family? You've never talked about them."

Inuyasha slumped down into his chair. "Yeah, well, I was getting to that."

"Sorry, please continue."

Inuyasha shifted uneasily at getting into such a personal conversation with Kagome, not to mention the fact that she was staring so intently at him. 'Sure, now is a great time to start acting like an idiot around her again! Pull yourself together and try to forget who you're talking to!' Easier said than done.

"When my mother was still alive, I lived with my family. But after she- after she died, I left for personal reasons. Sesshoumaru, my brother, hated me anyway for being half-human and my father and I just didn't have much to do with each other. We'd had a fight before I took off." Inuyasha chose not to elaborate too much, sticking to the basic facts. "So now my father's been dead for months, and up until yesterday I hadn't seen or talked to Sesshoumaru in over a year."

Kagome had to work really hard not to bombard him with questions. He was being so careful to leave out details and she couldn't help but feel a personal interest in his past that caused her to want to know more. Wisely though, she kept quiet and let him talk.

"I guess he has some sort of business trip or something he can't take her on, although the bastard really wasn't clear on that." His voice started to take on a sarcastic edge. "For all I know he could be off vacationing in Hawaii right now, although knowing him, he probably wouldn't know what a lounge chair was even if it bit him on the a-."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome resisted the temptation to laugh and instead tried to look stern. "Could you please just stick to the subject?"

The hayou looked rather sheepish as he continued. "Anyway, to make a long story short, Sesshoumaru pops up out of the blue, offers me a job, and walks out of my apartment after I refuse to hear him out."

"He left, just like that?" Kagome couldn't help but say something now. "But how did you end up with her if he didn't push the subject?"

"He left her sitting in my bedroom. So now I'm stuck with a little kid and I don't have a clue what to do with her!"

Laughing, Kagome patted him on the arm. "Don't worry about it, children are fun! I'm sure you'll enjoy having her around once you get used to her. And I'll even help you if you'd like!"

Inuyasha stared at Kagome, unsure of what to say. "You'd really do that?" His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest and he was sure she must be able to hear it. He wanted to be happy about it, but… 'Does she really mean it, or is she just doing it because she thinks I'm so pathetic?'

Kagome noticed the insecure look on his face. He was acting like a child who was afraid that if he tried to take the piece of candy someone was holding out to them, then it would suddenly be snatched away.

'Whatever happened in his past with his family must have really hurt him. No wonder he doesn't seem to be all that ready to trust someone to stick around and help him.'

"I swear I'll help you Inuyasha." Kagome stated firmly. She even reached out to pat one of his hands reassuringly. "I'd never abandon one of my friends when they need help."

For once, Inuyasha actually had to fight the urge to smile.

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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'Damn you, Kagome!' Inuyasha wanted to shout out loud. 'Where the heck are you? I thought you said you weren't gonna abandon me!'

The hanyou was sitting and glowering at the little girl seated before him on the floor of his apartment while she looked back at him expectantly. It was obvious from her look that she was waiting for something, but Inuyasha wasn't making a single move.

"You're supposed to sit on the floor, not on the couch." Rin helpfully suggested.

Inuyasha stubbornly crossed his arms and didn't budge an inch.

The day was growing late since the group had eaten lunch at Miroku's humble little café, and now Inuyasha once again found himself alone with the 'runt' as he now so affectionately called her. Kagome had run off, promising to be back as soon as she finished a personal errand and help him put Rin to bed for the night.

"Come on, Uncle Inu! We don't have all night!" Rin reached out and tugged on the leg of his jeans insistently.

"For the last time, I'm not gonna do it!" He declared forcefully, hoping she'd give up and leave him alone. "Can't you think of some other game to play? ALONE?"

Rin sniffed lightly. "But I can't have a tea party alone! Pleeeeze, Uncle Inu?"

Inuyasha was REALLY starting to regret hiding her stupid teddy bear when she wasn't watching, but he couldn't risk letting her see it, especially after what had happened while she was in the bathroom earlier.

'Ugggh, that bear is so creepy! If I didn't know better I'd swear it was Sesshoumaru's tail with arms, legs, and a face!' Inuyasha grimaced at the thought of Sessy-poo, the pale-colored teddy bear Rin had seemed so attached to. 'Like I'd ever feel sorry that I "accidentally" slashed off one of its arms! It was staring at me and I couldn't stand it! It's not my fault that it looks like that bastard brother of mine!'

"Uncle Inu?" Rin's voice broke into his musings. "You REALLY don't know what happened to Sessy-poo?" She now looked even closer to tears than she had before when she'd found the bear missing, since her Uncle Inu wouldn't play with her.

Inuyasha cringed, feeling guilty. There was no help for it. Either he needed to come up with a good excuse, or distract her by playing with her. Could his life get any worse?

"Fine, I'll play with you, but just for a few minutes!" He dumped himself off the couch and into the floor. "But I get to drink out of the mug, and I don't want any 'cookies'! Got that, runt?"

Squealing happily and forgetting her tears, Rin let him have what he wanted along with some imaginary tea. She also kept the disks/cookies for herself.

"So how was your day today?" Rin questioned politely.

"Bad."

Rin reached out and patted his hand. "Aww, that's terrible! Would you like a cookie?" She forgot his earlier demand and held out the small plate to him.

Before he could oh-so politely refuse her offer, the front door was suddenly flung open by Kagome without warning, since he'd forgotten to lock it earlier. Using his hanyou reflexes, he was off the floor like a shot and back on the couch before she could walk in and see him actually having a tea party.

"I'm back!" Kagome cheerfully called out to both of them. "Isn't it about your bedtime, Rin?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha was rather flustered over almost getting caught, along with the fact that Kagome had just walked right into his apartment as if she belonged there. Almost as if they were *blush* MARRIED or something.

Rin was pouting over the loss of her playmate and the mention of the word bedtime. "Do I have to? I want to stay up and play with Uncle Inu!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow and looked at him questioningly. "Oh really? Dare I ask what you were playing?"

Inuyasha sank down in the couch and refused to look at her. "Nothing."

"We were having a tea party, Aunt Kagome."

Inuyasha started choking in embarrassment while Kagome laughed. The clueless girl didn't guess exactly what he was embarrassed over, though.

'AUNT Kagome? Is this kid out to totally ruin my life?' Inuyasha wished for a moment that the floor would open up and swallow him, but then changed his mind when he remembered he'd only end up in Kagome's apartment anyway.

It looked like there was no escaping the hand that fate had dealt him.

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I just have to point it out, I can't help myself! My favorite line in this whole chapter had to be the one about Sesshoumaru and the lounge chair. Although I loved the part with 'Sessy-poo' as well. Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter! Be sure to drop me a review and tell me what you think!


	8. Pretty in Pink

Oh, I think you guys are going to love this chapter! I know it took quite a few chapters to get the setup of the whole situation complete, but this is where I really start having some fun with Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship. So if you've managed to stick with me this far, then your patience will finally start to be rewarded with some humor, interesting situations, and the all-important fluff. Enjoy!

Oh, and I was rather surprised at the fact that no one mentioned anything about Sessy-poo's arm getting cut off by Inuyasha, just like in the series. LOL, I thought at least one person would notice and say something.

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Disclaimer: I do own something really cute with fuzzy ears and a bad temper, but sadly for me it isn't Inuyasha. *Glares at her cat* And just to rub salt in the wound, I don't own any of the other characters either.

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Eight

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Kagome yawned widely as the buzzing of her alarm clock broke the early morning silence surrounding her. Throwing her arm out blindly, she sent the annoying piece of equipment flying across the room before snuggling back into bed without a second thought.

"Kagome-chan! What did you do that for?" Sango complained as she sat up in bed. "It's not like you to try putting holes in the wall first thing in the morning!"

"You make it sound like I only put holes in the wall later in the day." This was followed by another yawn as she burrowed more deeply into her cocoon of blankets.

Sango watched her friend in wry amusement before remembering something interesting. Of course, being the good friend that she was, Sango decided to embarrass Kagome a little bit and say something about what was on her mind. "So, I noticed you came home awfully late last night. Care to tell me what you were up to all that time?" Her amusement only grew when she saw the small figure of Kagome stiffen and turn very still underneath the mountain of blankets. 

"I knew it! You were with a guy, weren't you?"

The room was completely silent for a moment, before the pile of blankets suddenly exploded and Kagome shot up out of bed, making frantic motions of denial with her hands. "I wasn't! I mean, I was, but not how you're thinking!"

Sango sat forward eagerly. "So who is he?"

Kagome bit her lip and started to fidget nervously. "Well, I did what you told me to and went upstairs yesterday-"

Sango's eyes widened when she saw where this was leading.

"-and I spent the day with Inuyasha and Rin." Kagome's voice had become slightly defensive towards the end as if daring Sango to tease her.

"Oh my God!" The long-haired girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Do you mean to tell me you spent the day with Inuyasha and his girlfriend?"

"No!" Kagome shook her head. "Rin's his niece. Well, sort of."

The next few minutes were spent telling Sango about all the odd events of the day before, carefully leaving out certain parts having to do with the perverted Miroku. Kagome could do without one of Sango's 'I hate men' rampages so early in the morning.

Interestingly enough though, she also failed to go into detail about the time she spent at Inuyasha's place AFTER Rin was put to bed.

'I've never had a chance to spend so much time with him alone before, and he actually talked to me, unlike usual. He might act grumpy most of the time, but I think he's not half as bad as he tries to make everyone think he is.' Kagome smiled in private amusement at her thoughts.

"So," Sango finally gestured towards the broken alarm clock in the floor, breaking Kagome out of her silent musings. "Does this mean you set the alarm for such an early time so you could go help him out?"

"Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!" Kagome's eyes widened in horror at the reminder that she was now running late after spending so much time talking.

The sound of Sango's laughter followed Kagome as she frantically barreled out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

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This had to be the absolute WORST day of Inuyasha's life.

Just when he was convinced things were going to get better after spending the evening with Kagome alone, things went to hell in a hand basket pretty fast. It must be a law of physics or something.

"Hold still!" The little girl scolded him seriously. "If you move, Rin might mess up!"

Inuyasha continued to glower at his reflection in the small mirror Rin had so 'kindly' leaned up against the wall before closing his eyes. The sight of himself right now was just too painful to bear.

Trying to cheer himself up a bit, Inuyasha thought back on the pervious evening's events.

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~Flashback~

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"Wow, I never realized how hard having a child would be." Kagome admitted, shutting the door of the bedroom behind her. "I didn't think Rin would ever fall asleep without her teddy bear. What in the world could have happened to it?"

Inuyasha reluctantly reached behind the sofa, pulling out the injured ball of fluff.

Kagome sweatdropped and gingerly took it from his hand to examine the damage as well as the odd material the bear seemed to be made out of. "Oh my goodness. Do I even want to know how this happened?"

"Nope."

Sighing, Kagome smiled slightly. "I somehow doubt you have a needle and thread around here anywhere, but if you did then I could probably fix it. Then Rin could have him back and you wouldn't have to play tea party with her anymore." Her voice took on a teasing tone. "I could tell you were having SO much fun."

Inuyasha paled. "You mean you heard that?"

"Everything." Kagome let out a small giggle when he groaned. "You mean you didn't hear me standing at the door and laughing? I wouldn't have come in so soon but I actually felt bad for you!"

The hanyou glared at her. "What do you mean 'so soon'? You should have come in a lot sooner than that if you ask me!"

"But that wouldn't have been any fun at all!"

The two continued to argue playfully until Inuyasha suddenly remembered her request for the needle and thread. They were not items he would normally keep around the apartment, but once again his mother's chest of belongings would save the day.

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~End Flashback~

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'It felt so strange watching her use something that once belonged to my mother.' He mused, eyes still closed. 'But I didn't mind at all. It even felt kind of…right.' Inuyasha suddenly wanted to laugh. 'She isn't nearly as skilled as my mother was! I've never seen somebody stab themselves so many times with a needle!'

Kagome had been terribly embarrassed over the end product of her handiwork, because the stitches were more than a little uneven and messy. Inuyasha blushed when he remembered his response to her criticism.

'I can't believe I told her it looked perfect! How corny could I possibly get?'

He didn't, however, regret the look she gave him when he said that, and Inuyasha knew he'd make a fool of himself any day if he could get her to look at him like that again.

The daydreaming hanyou was suddenly and painfully pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a sharp tug on his long hair.

"Ow! Don't pull so hard, runt! Just because I'm a half-demon doesn't mean I can't feel it!"

Rin only giggled and continued to work.

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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Kagome wanted to kick herself for running so late! She'd had every intention of getting up early and taking Inuyasha and Rin some breakfast, since the hanyou still hadn't had a chance to stock his cabinets with anything but ramen, but everything suddenly seemed determined to get in her way. She'd finally given up on the food idea and settled for planning on dragging the pair grocery shopping later that day.

"I hope he's isn't having too much trouble!" Kagome was finally on her way, jogging up the apartment stairs. "Hopefully since we put Rin's bear in bed with her last night, she'll play with him and leave poor Inuyasha alone."

Walking quickly down the hallway towards her destination, Kagome stopped in front of Inuyasha's apartment door and moved to knock. It was then that she heard the loud exclamation of pain coming from inside.

'Is something wrong?' Kagome wondered.

She decided against knocking and placed her hand on the doorknob instead. Knowing Inuyasha, he'd probably left it unlocked again. He seemed to believe he had nothing to fear since he could easily hear anyone coming, but ever since Rin got dropped into his life he didn't seem to have much of a chance to pay attention.

"The idiot." Kagome muttered under her breath as she flung open the door and stepped inside, ready to save the hanyou from whatever torture Rin was inflicting on him this time.

Those intentions died with the advent of Kagome's hysterical laughter.

"It's not funny!" Inuyasha protested hotly as he glared at her from where he was sitting on the floor. The bad day he'd thought couldn't possibly get any worse just went up in flames. "Oi, would you stop laughing!?!?"

"I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Kagome gasped in a vain attempt to pull herself together. "But you l-look so…cute!"

Okay, that did it! Inuyasha raised his arms to undo all the damage to his poor hair, but Kagome noticed and hurried to stop him.

"Wait, don't mess it up!" She cried, grabbing his hands with both of hers. That action alone was enough to stop Inuyasha in his tracks. "It's too cute! Besides, now that I'm here, I can help!"

Hell hath no flame larger than the one that set Inuyasha's face on fire. There was no way he could possibly manage to get more embarassed than he was then!

Then again, with Kagome's hands in his hair, yes he could.

Rin, being the cute little girl that she was, had been liberally supplied by Sesshoumaru with plenty of hair bands, clips, bows, and anything else her little heart could possibly desire in the way of hair accessories. And to his horror, about half her collection now resided in Inuyasha's 'pretty' hair.

Hair that Kagome just happened to be unabashedly running her fingers through, getting a very interesting reaction from the subject of her ministrations. The hanyou had never felt anything so good in his entire life.

'I can't believe Kagome doesn't realize what she's doing to me!' Inuyasha had all he could do not to groan in frustration. Instead he leaned back into the touch, completely forgetting how the situation had started.

Kagome, meanwhile, was facing a few temptations of her own.

'I just can't seem to help myself. I've wanted to run my fingers through his hair for so long that it was nearly driving me crazy! It's so long and silky…and even worse, I've always wanted to touch those fuzzy ears of his.' Kagome stopped the movement of her hands for a moment and bit her lip in indecision. 'Should I risk it? It might make him mad…'

Oh, what the heck. She might never get a better opportunity!

'WHAT THE HELL?!?!' Inuyasha's eyes snapped open at the feeling of someone lightly caressing his ears, and his back stiffened in shock. 'Does she realize how personal she's getting? Not that I mind, but…' His thoughts practically flew out of his head when she increased the pressure of her hands.

Then he started to purr.

'Oh my!' Kagome nearly pulled her hands away at the odd sound. 'Do dog demon's actually purr? Maybe I made a mistake and he's really a cat demon?'

Well, whatever was going on, both she and Rin found it cute. The little girl had long since finished with Inuyasha's hair and was now watching the pair in fascination.

"Can I have a turn next?"

This time Kagome really did pull her hands back as she was brought back to earth by the innocent question, and Inuyasha nearly fell over backwards at the sudden loss of contact.

"Um, maybe later, Rin!" Kagome laughed nervously and avoided looking at the disgruntled hanyou in the floor. Was he really mad at her for doing that? It was pretty obvious he was peeved about something.

'How could I have forgotten about the runt? Damn my bad luck!' He wanted to sit and curse himself and his life some more, but decided he probably needed a few moments to cool down. Especially before he could deal with or even look at Kagome again. Standing up, he muttered "I'll be back in a minute."

Walking into the bathroom, he slammed the door behind him and left a very confused and slightly hurt Kagome staring after him.

But soon, though, her frown turned into a smile when she heard grumbling coming from the bathroom that sounded suspiciously like "Damn, prissy looking hair!" and then "Pink! Why did it all have to be pink?!".

'Oh well, I suppose he would be a tiny bit upset about his hair,' She laughed and shook her head before picking herself up off the floor. "At least it was fun!"

"Yeah, for YOU maybe! Not for me!" A shouted reply came from the bathroom.

Liar. 

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Another chapter completed! Are things getting a little bit more interesting? I hope so! That was a really fun chapter to write, although difficult as well. So if you enjoyed it, then please do me a huge favor and review! You don't know how happy you guys make me when you take the time to leave me some comments. ^_^


	9. Not Only Kids are Immature

Wow, thank you guys for all the great reviews! Especially the ones who took the time to review more than once as they read through the story. I love it when people do that. ^_^ I should also say thanks to Keolla once again as well. It always makes my day when I see her reviews! She always takes the time to write one (long ones at that) and she gives me constructive comments when she can. So thank you again!

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Disclaimer: If I actually owned Inuyasha, then the world would be a better place…well, for me, anyway! But alas, I don't, so the world is a better place for you instead. Oh, the injustices of life…

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Nine

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The afternoon business was proving to be rather slow, and as a result, Miroku was looking around the café listlessly, bored out of his mind. He enjoyed his work, but it could be so dull sometimes. Especially when he could be using his valuable time better by doing more interesting things.

'My free time this morning was such a waste. Oh, why couldn't I have seen the lovely Sango at least once today while I was out?' The thought made Miroku frown unhappily. 'I would have given anything to have gotten just one feel of her lovely form, but the only thing I got to feel was Inuyasha's fist.'

Rubbing his still aching head in obvious self-pity, Miroku suddenly sighed and slumped over the café counter in front of him with a dramatic flare. Shippo, who was standing several feet away while he counted out change for a customer, just ignored him.

"Why must love be so difficult?" Miroku sighed again and carefully cast a glance in Shippo's direction.

"Forget it." The kitsune finally acknowledged him, although he still didn't bother to look at him. "You've already tried that tactic at least three times in the last ten minutes. Besides, I shouldn't have to run this place for you alone again just so you can go chase after unsuspecting girls! You had your fun this morning, so get over it."

Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere, Miroku finally dropped his pitiful act and stood up straight. "Do you call nearly getting beaten to death by an angry hanyou FUN? And for no reason, I might add."

"Ha!"

The café owner fixed a wounded gaze on his employee. "Are you truly so callused to my plight? After being at death's door just this morning and running the risk of never seeing my beloved Sango again, is it too much to ask for a few small moments away to see her once more?" During this little speech, Miroku had raised his voice loud enough to be heard around the room.

"The poor dear, look how earnest he is!"

"I never thought little Shippo was so unfeeling! Can't he see the poor man is in love?"

"Who is this Sango girl away? I bet she doesn't have anything on me!"

After things continued along like that for several moments, a bright red flush started to creep over the younger man's face and Miroku had to work hard to conceal how smug he was feeling over his eminent victory. Surely Shippo would cave any second…

"True love is so rare these days."

"Poor little Shippo, he's probably just too young to understand still."

"I have a granddaughter I could set him up with. They would be so darling together!"

"Alright already, just get out of here before I strangle you!" The younger man nearly yelled, sick of all the pitying and speculative stares coming from the café's many patrons. "But remember Miroku, you owe me for this big time!" He hissed angrily with his tail swishing furiously behind him.

Shippo needn't have wasted his breath, though. The front door was already slamming shut behind Miroku's quickly retreating figure.

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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"Sango-chan, are you sure you really want to come along?" Kagome asked for what had to be the tenth time as they prepared to leave their apartment. "I could always go ahead and do the grocery shopping this week, even though it's not my turn. It wouldn't be a problem, really! Don't you have a quiz on Monday that you need to study for?"

Sango rolled her eyes and hid a smile over the anxious gaze her friend was giving her. "I'm very sure, since you'll probably have your hands too full helping Inuyasha with his shopping to do ours. AND if I remember correctly, I'm not the only one who needs to study for that quiz."

Kagome blushed at the pointed reminder that they were in the same class, so obviously that excuse wouldn't work. "I'm sorry, Sango-chan! I'm really not trying to get rid of you or anything, I swear!"

"Uh huh…" Sango didn't believe a word of it. She was enjoying torturing her friend a little bit, though that wasn't the only reason she was insisting on tagging along. Who wouldn't want to see the odd sight of Inuyasha dealing with a child? The possible entertainment that situation presented sounded much too interesting to pass up.

Kagome reluctantly followed the other girl out the door and down the stairs, where they were supposed to meet Inuyasha and Rin in the apartment lobby. She couldn't really understand why she wanted to get rid of Sango so desperately, but the temptation to try and talk her out of it yet again was very strong.

When they reached the lobby, though, all such thoughts flew out the window.

"What the-" Kagome stopped to stare at the scene before her in confusion.

Inuyasha was standing just inside the glass door of the apartment building, casually holding onto the handle while the shadowed figure of Miroku alternately tugged on the handle, rapped on the glass, and begged for the hanyou to let go of it so he could come inside. Rin was watching the whole scene and giggling, thinking it was just a silly game.

"I swear, it was an accident!" Miroku's muffled voice could be heard through the door just as Inuyasha spotted the two girls. "I never meant to actually touch Kag-" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in annoyance at what Miroku was about to say before he covertly pushed on the door, causing it to slam into Miroku's head.

"Oops! My hand slipped." The hanyou couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Miroku 'accidentally' sprawled out on the sidewalk. 'That should teach the lech for showing up so soon after touching Kagome like that. Even if he swears up and down that he's only here to see Sango, I still don't trust him!'

Meanwhile, Sango was watching the scene, along with Kagome and Rin, with a mix of horror and grim amusement. She was feeling fairly certain about why the other man had appeared, and she really didn't like the reason.

'Well,' She mused, trying to muster some hope. 'Maybe Inuyasha won't let him get inside the door and I won't have to deal with him. Miracles do happen on occasion.'

Unfortunately for her, though, even after that painfully hard hit, it hadn't taken long for Miroku to gather his wits and get back on his feet. He even managed to get inside the door while Inuyasha's guard was down.

So much for miracles.

"You know, Inuyasha, I believe hitting me with that door was rather uncalled for." Miroku gave Inuyasha a pointed look while he calmly dusted himself off in an attempt to regain some of his lost dignity. "Trying to kill me twice in one day is a bit much, even for you."

"I swear, it was an accident!" The half-demon mimicked his friend's earlier pleas.

While Inuyasha and Miroku continued to argue, Sango leaned over towards Kagome. "You know, I don't think I feel like going shopping right now after all." She whispered as quietly as she could to avoid drawing attention to herself. "I'll just head back upstairs! Later!"

Turning swiftly and ignoring Kagome's baffled expression, she almost managed to make a timely escape when someone suddenly grabbed her left hand and stopped her in her tracks.

"Sango! What a pleasant surprise!" Miroku smiled brightly at her when she reluctantly turned around. "I was just planning to head upstairs and talk to you, but I see there is no need!"

"Lucky me." She muttered under her breath.

Miroku ignored her sarcasm and continued to hold her hand. "I came to apologize to you about our last unfortunate encounter. I honestly meant no harm." 

To anyone else he might have actually sounded convincing, but not to Sango. She just glared at him and chose not to respond.

"So," Miroku seemed oblivious to the tension in the air. "Did I hear you mention the store? I would be honored if you would allow me to accompany you on your errands so that I might buy some pain reliever." He rubbed his bruised head and gave her a mournful look, hoping for some pity.

"Well, I wasn't actually planning on going anymore…" Sango could have kicked herself right then, because for some strange reason, she was actually starting to feel sorry for him. Probably because she hadn't been the one to hurt him this time, so it didn't count.

Like a vulture, Miroku was quick to pick up on the hint of sympathy in her eyes. "Well then, do you by some chance have some pain reliever I can borrow?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "In your apartment, perhaps?"

Sango considered her options. Stay reasonably safe and go shopping in a group, or go up to her apartment with him alone. Hmmm, terribly hard choice.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Sango grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her past Inuyasha, who had been watching Miroku like a hawk the entire time in case he happened to get too close to the wrong girl. "If we're going to go shopping, then let's go!"

She nearly ran out the door, dragging a very unfortunate Kagome behind her.

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Kagome silently read down the shopping list that she'd written out before they'd left, trying to ignore everything going on around her so that she could concentrate. Every few moments, though, she would have to stop and look up.

"For the last time, put that down right now!" She snapped for what had to be the millionth time that afternoon. "You don't need it!"

Her command was obeyed, but very reluctantly.

Several moments later Kagome looked up again and nearly growled. "I SAID leave it alone and I mean it! Don't make me have to say it again!"

Inuyasha frowned and dropped the packages of Ramen he had been digging through, looking for his favorite flavors. Didn't she know that Ramen was one of the four basic food groups?

Sighing, Kagome looked back down and started marking things off the list, but once again that only lasted for a moment before she found herself looking up at a couple of new offenders.

"I told you earlier not to touch that! And you, stop hitting him!"

Miroku meekly backed his hand away from Sango's hip at Kagome's sharp reprimand, and Sango put down her hand but continued to watch him warily.

Shaking her head, Kagome looked at the group of people around her. 'Wouldn't you know it, the one child in the group is behaving better than most of the adults! I seriously worry about the kind of friends I have sometimes.'

Sadly enough, it was true. Rin was standing patiently by Kagome's side, watching the others with a curious gaze as they continued to get into trouble time after time. There was just no understanding adults sometimes.

"Sango, maybe you should go off on your own to finish your shopping." Kagome finally suggested out of sheer exasperation after another round of grabbing and slapping. Other people in the store were starting to stare and Kagome just couldn't take it anymore. "Leave Miroku here with us."

"No way! Then the lech might start groping YOU!" Inuyasha blurted out without thinking, which earned him an evil glare from Sango in response.

Miroku had the most angelic look on his face. "I would never dare touch Kagome-sama in such an inappropriate manner-"

"Like hell you wouldn't!" Inuyasha grabbed the front of Miroku's shirt and glared at him.

Sango also stepped forward looking ready to do some serious bodily harm, when Kagome finally decided she'd had enough.

"Stop it, NOW!"

Her voice echoed through the store and everyone turned to look at her, surprised at the sudden outburst.

"Inuyasha," She continued once she was sure she had everyone's attention. "Why don't you go look for the soy sauce? I think I might have missed it a couple of aisles back. Sango, you go off and take care of our shopping. Miroku, stand right there and don't move an inch if you want to live another day." Her voice had taken on a commanding edge as she talked, causing Miroku to gulp nervously.

"Now wait just a minute! I don't want-" Inuyasha began to protest, not at all happy about leaving her with Miroku anywhere in the vicinity, much less alone with him.

"GO!"

Kagome pointed down the aisle and even Inuyasha knew better than to argue with her when she was that upset. Grumbling, he jogged out of sight, determined to hurry back before Miroku could have a chance to get over his temporary fear. Sango had long ago cleared out when given the chance.

When everyone was out of her way except for Miroku and Rin, Kagome allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief before going back to her list.

"He certainly does take after his father."

Kagome jerked her head up to look at Miroku, surprised at his sudden statement out of the blue. "You mean Inuyasha? Did you know his father?"

He nodded. "I've hung around Inuyasha for years. His father was known for being rather temperamental and violent, and it's obvious Inuyasha shares those particular personality traits. Unfortunately." The last word was muttered underneath his breath.

Not able to resist the chance to gather a little more information about Inuyasha's past, Kagome decided to question Miroku further. "So that means you probably knew his brother. What's he like?"

"The exact opposite of Inuyasha." Miroku had been slowly inching his way over towards her until a murderous look from Kagome halted him. It was obvious that he'd only been using the conversation to distract her. "He's cool, calm, calculating, and ruthless…and that's when he's in a good mood."

"Then why would he take on a child?" Kagome glanced down at Rin, who was crouched on the floor, interested in a small bug crawling across it.

"Who knows?" Miroku shrugged his shoulders as he watched a very attractive woman sort through the Ramen nearby. "It's not something I or Inuyasha ever thought he would do, so I really couldn't begin to guess why. Maybe he just did it to make Inuyasha's life miserable. That always did seem to be one of his favorite pastimes, after all."

When it became obvious that Miroku had lost all interest in the conversation do to the distraction in a tight skirt, Kagome allowed herself to become lost in thought. So when Miroku wandered away to 'talk' to the woman he'd been watching, she actually let him go without a fight.

'I wish I knew more about what's going on.' She eyed Rin speculatively. 'I wonder how much Rin actually knows? It probably wouldn't hurt to try talking to her one day when her 'Uncle Inu' isn't around to stop me from being nosey.'

Just then, Inuyasha came flying back around the corner of the aisle as if the devil himself were on his heels and a bottle of soy sauce in his hand. Kagome decided to set her thoughts aside for later. She had almost a whole month to dig for information, but for right now, she had two very helpless people to shop for.

"Men." She muttered.

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I had so much fun with this chapter! (As if I don't have fun writing EVERY chapter) The scene with Kagome treating them all like children had to be my favorite. Especially Inuyasha digging through the ramen, lol! Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter and sticking with the story this far! I'm really enjoying all the reviews I'm getting. So please make me happy and leave me more, okay? (I'm so greedy…) ^_~


	10. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Problems

Sorry that I took so long updating! I'd meant to post the night before last. The chapter was written long before now (most of them are) but I didn't get the editing done in time and then I just didn't have time to do it until now. So please feel free to make as many faces as you'd like at your computer. It's not like I'll ever see them! ^_^

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Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company are not my brilliant creation, as much as I would love for them to be. Just Sessy-poo, who seems to be collecting his own little fan club. If he could talk, he would probably start asking for a share in the profits (AKA reviews)!

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Ten 

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"Excuse me, Sesshoumaru-sama." The small green demon cautiously approached his Lord, looking rather nervous. "I know you are busy, but-" He stopped, unsure if he should continue or not.

When the servant stayed quiet, Sesshoumaru finally looked up from the paper that was sitting on the table in front of him. He had obviously been busy reading, and wasn't very happy about being disturbed at such a bad time. "Well? What is it, Jaken?"

The little youkai slid up closer to the desk, practically groveling. "You did request that I remind you to call your half-brother and the child, my Lord, once the allotted amount of time had gone by." He stopped talking long enough to count on his stubby, green fingers. "I believe enough time has passed for the girl to have settled in properly."

While Jaken waited anxiously for a response, Sesshoumaru stared at him expressionlessly for several moments before finally nodding his head once. "Bring me the phone, then."

"Right away, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken nearly bounced away, eager to do his lord's bidding. 

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Inuyasha shuffled in a guilty manner. "You didn't really have to do that, ya know."

"Do what? Give you and Rin a chance to eat real food instead of ramen?" Kagome gave him a dry look as she folded some of Rin's clothes and laid them on Inuyasha's bed. "I'll have you know that I actually enjoy cooking, so just get over it already."

"But I can cook for myself!" The hanyou protested rather weakly.

"Yeah, anything that comes in packages with the word 'instant' on it."

He didn't bother to argue this time because she'd seen right through him, a scary talent that most women seemed to possess naturally. Inuyasha couldn't help but think of all the times that his mother had known he was lying when he'd told her he was wearing clean underwear.

The room was silent for several moments while Inuyasha sulked and Kagome sorted through Rin's clothes, looking to see what all she had and if they would need to do any shopping to get through the month. From the looks of the little girl's expansive wardrobe, probably not.

The ringing of the phone finally broke the comfortable silence.

"Rin will get it!" Rin shouted from the living room where she had been watching a Disney movie until time for her to go to bed. She managed to reach the phone before Inuyasha was able to stop her. The poor guy tried really hard, too, much to Kagome's amusement.

"Hello, Uncle Inu's phone!" She chirped happily, causing 'Uncle Inu' to wince. "Oh, hi Papa Sess!" Her voice had suddenly gone from perky to insanely happy in a matter of moments.

'God, am I glad she answered the phone!' Inuyasha thought in relief, conveniently forgetting his irritation from just a moment before. 'The last person I wanna talk to right now is that miserable bastard, although I would love to yell at him…but that can wait till he comes back and I can do more than just yell.'

Kagome gulped nervously when he walked back into the bedroom and she noticed the dark look on his face. That, and the fact that he was also cracking his knuckles made for one intimidating picture. Turning away in an attempt to ignore him, she glanced around the room to see if she had missed anything.

'Hey, what's that…' Kagome noticed what looked like a book sticking out from under Inuyasha's bed. 'Figures he'd have so much junk under there that it doesn't all fit.' Heaving a mental sigh, she leaned down and picked up the book, intending to set it out of the way when she noticed what it was. 'A photo album? The way he acts about his family, I can't believe he actually keeps something like this!' 

Of course, the temptation to open it and take a peek was irresistible.

"Oh my God!" She suddenly gasped, unable to control her reaction and breaking the silence of the bedroom. The loud exclamation attracted Inuyasha's attention and he quickly turned to see what could have caused it.

"Oi, where the hell did you find that?!?!" Inuyasha nearly shouted when he noticed what she was holding. The look on his face could only be described as horrified, and he moved as if he wanted to snatch the album from her hands but was afraid to go near her.

While he frantically debated with himself about the best way to handle the situation, Kagome's mouth opened, closed, and then opened again as she tried to talk and look at the pictures at the same time. She wasn't able to make a single sound, though, and that just seemed to agitate Inuyasha further.

During all of this, Rin was still on the phone.

"Did you want to talk to Uncle Inu first?" She questioned. The room was quiet while the little girl listened intently to what was said in response. "Rin will check!" She ran with the cordless phone over to the bedroom doorway and peered inside, just in time to see Inuyasha make a frantic grab for the book in Kagome's hands. Neither adult seemed to notice her, so she walked off.

"Rin thinks Uncle Inu and Aunt Kagome are busy right now."

The room was quiet a few more moments, before Rin spoke again, seemingly answering a question.

"In the bedroom. Why?"

This time there was dead silence on both ends of the phone for a long period of time, before Rin was asked another question.

"No, the door is open and Rin can see that they aren't in bed." The confusion in Rin's voice was clear now, after getting asked all those odd questions. "Should they be?"

Poor Inuyasha and Kagome, they were so wrapped up in their own little drama that they missed the very interesting conversation between Rin and Sesshoumaru.

"I said give me those pictures!" Inuyasha made another frantic grab for the book in Kagome's hands, but she managed to dodge him, laughing the whole time. "Kagome!"

"What in the WORLD would possess you to keep pictures like these?" Kagome gasped out between laughs, twisting to keep the book out of his reach. "I would have burned them years ago if I were you!" She turned the page and a new round of laughing began.

"Dammit, I said give 'em here!" Inuyasha's face was bright red, and not from exertion. He knew he should have destroyed that stupid album the moment he found it in his mother's chest! 

How right Inuyasha was. A book like that would set someone up for life in the way of blackmail! It was filled with the most embarrassing childhood pictures a person could ever possibly have! It contained everything from him still sleeping with a teddy bear at the age of twelve, to him sitting in the bathtub naked when he was three. There was even one where he'd tried on some of his mother's clothes and make-up one day at the age of eight after getting curious about why women liked that kind of thing so much. 

And Kagome was finding it WAY too amusing for Inuyasha's taste.

It took several moments for it to happen, but Kagome finally faltered long enough from laughing for a very desperate Inuyasha to tackle her, and they both fell onto the bed at about the same time that the phone started ringing again. Rin must have gotten off the phone with her beloved 'Papa Sess' sometime before that.

"Bitch, gimme that book!" Inuyasha's normally sensitive ears didn't even register the ringing as he pinned her arms down, then reached for the book while she giggled.

"Ohhh, you think you're so scary!" Kagome managed to move her arm just enough to poked him in the chest, causing him to pause. "I suppose I should be insulted at your little pet name for me, but I just can't find it in my heart to be mad after getting to see you in drag."

Surprisingly enough, Inuyasha's blush managed to get even worse, and he suddenly didn't seem very interested in getting the album from her anymore.

"What's the matter?" Kagome started to feel a little confused. Surely her mentioning him in drag hadn't embarrassed him that much, had it? 

Her mind was so focused on what she'd seen in the pictures that their situation just wasn't sinking in at all. 

"Inuyasha?" She poked him in the chest again.

"I-uh-I mean-" Inuyasha finally stuttered, since his brain wasn't working too well at the moment. He just couldn't seem to get it to work any further than to register how much he was enjoying his current position. Even if he died for it later, he'd probably die happy…

When Inuyasha didn't make another attempt to point out the obvious, Kagome finally managed to take stock of the situation and her eyes widened considerably. She opened her mouth to say something, but someone else managed to beat her to it.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Miroku, but Aunt Kagome and Uncle Inu are in bed right now, though Papa Sess told me they aren't supposed to go to bed before me." Rin moved away from the doorway where she had been standing a moment before, watching the pair.

Inuyasha and Kagome could only stare after her with wide eyes, horrified.

"Yes, they are in the same bed." Rin sounded confused again. What was with all the weird questions she was getting asked tonight?

With a loud swear, Inuyasha was suddenly off the bed and out of the bedroom in a flash, diving for the phone and snatching it from Rin before she could get in another incriminating word. Kagome hastily removed herself from the bed as well and got ready to leave.

"Come on, Rin, I think it's time for you to go to bed so your Uncle Inu can get some rest, too!" Kagome quickly pushed the little girl into the bedroom without looking in Inuyasha's direction, a bright blush staining her cheeks.

"But Aunt Kagome, it's so early!"

Upset over the fact that he had been forced to move before hearing what Kagome had been about to say, Inuyasha helplessly watched her as she managed to get Rin tucked into bed and settled in for the night. When Kagome was finished, she gave the disappointed hanyou an embarrassed goodnight and took off out the front door without looking back. 

During all this, poor Miroku was totally ignored.

'Well, at least she didn't look upset, just kind of embarrassed.' Inuyasha decided to take that as a good sign. 'I really wanted to know what she was going to say, though! Would she have yelled at me?' He wanted to pull his hair out in frustration. 'That stupid lech! He just HAD to butt in!' 

The innocent little phone was suddenly on the receiving end of a patented Inuyasha-death-glare.

"Inuyasha? Rin? Somebody! Come on and talk to me, I know you're there!" The pathetic pleas continued to sound from the phone, just as they had been for the last several minutes.

Inuyasha lifted the phone to his ear with a sudden, eerie calm. "I'm here."

"Thank goodness, I was really beginning to worry that I'd interrupted something - important." The soon-to-be-dead man coughed, but Inuyasha continued to stay quiet instead of yelling, his usual avenue of response. To fill the silence, Miroku continued to talk. "But, if Rin was telling the truth, then I should congratulate you! Although I must say, I think you have it backwards. Sleeping with your girlfriend should come BEFORE you have a child."

Dead silence.

"Okay, I suppose that wasn't very funny." Miroku sounded a tad nervous now. "I know you're angry that I ruined things, but-"

"NOTHING was going on!" Inuyasha finally managed to spit out a denial, almost yelling at the top of his lungs. "You're always trying to make everything sound perverted!"

"Well, Rin saying that you two were in bed together would sound perverted to anybody, not just me." Miroku's voice had turned dry.

Inuyasha began to splutter indignantly, not able to come up with a decent response since he knew it was true.

"Listen, I'm sure this little bit of information getting out would embarrass Kagome-sama, and we wouldn't want that to happen, so I promise not to say a word." This was said in a very smooth, calculating manner.

"You will?" Inuyasha sounded suspicious, and rightly so. He had never known Miroku to willingly be nice like that without wanting something.

"Certainly! But I would like a small favor in return."

Inuyasha sighed. He really should have seen it coming. But hey, at this point he'd do anything to shut him up. "So what do you want? Do I have to set you up with Sango or something?"

Miroku paused thoughtfully. "Well, that is an interesting suggestion and I might keep it in mind for later, but for now I have something else I need from you."

Inuyasha braced himself for the worst.

"I want you to 'loan' me Rin for the day tomorrow."

"WHAT?!?!" Inuyasha nearly crushed the phone in his hand. "What the hell do you want her for?" His expression started to darken.

Miroku decided he'd better be hasty and explain what he wanted. "Women are attracted to children, right? And they also find men who are good with children VERY attractive as well. So, logically, if I spent the day at the park with Rin, surely some woman will notice me and how good I am with kids."

"And then she'll want to bear your brats, right?" Inuyasha's voice was flat.

"Correct."

Inuyasha reluctantly mulled over the idea. 'If I let him take her for the day and Sesshoumaru finds out, he'd probably kill me. But then, I like doing things that make him mad, right?' Inuyasha started to smile, but it quickly changed into a frown. 'As much as I don't want to admit it, the runt is my responsibility. If something happened to her…' The hanyou's tendency to be very overprotective was rearing its head.

"I promise I will take excellent care of her, and it would give you a chance to be alone with Kagome-sama without anyone in the way." The tempting promise hung in the air while Miroku waited for an answer.

The hanyou finally broke. "Fine! You can have her tomorrow, but you feed her breakfast, lunch, and dinner! AND if anything happens to her, I promise you will live to regret it - until I finally kill you." Inuyasha's very serious promise hung in the air just like Miroku's earlier one.

The other man gulped nervously, knowing his friend probably meant every word. "I swear to you that you'll have her back without a single scratch."

"You'd better hope so."

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and that it was worth the rather long wait. In the next chapters Sango and Miroku will finally be getting a little more focus, and I personally find those parts to be very entertaining. Miroku is just such a fun character to write! ^_^ Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! 


	11. Just a Scratch

Wow, I actually got a higher number of reviews than usual for chapter ten, so I am VERY happy right now. Thank you guys so much for all the great comments! I loved them! Especially the ones that made me laugh, like Moonsilver's suggestion that Miroku should get a dog instead. ^_^ Anyway, I'm back as usual with a new chapter just for your enjoyment! It's a chapter that will hopefully give all of you a laugh at poor Miroku's expense. Can we say 'nervous wreck,' boys and girls? *Laughs*

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Disclaimer: None of Rumiko Takahashi's very colorful characters belong to me, so even after all the suffering I put them through they don't get compensated for it! If I should worry about anyone suing me, it would probably be them…

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**

Chapter Eleven

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The sound of a phone being slammed violently back onto its cradle echoed around the room.

"Dammit, I couldn't talk to Kagome before she went to her classes today!" 

Inuyasha started pacing back and forth, obviously on edge and alternately ranting and cursing himself for being a coward and waiting so long to tell Kagome about the fact that Miroku had taken Rin for the day. It wasn't something he particularly cared to tell her in person, knowing he'd probably pay for it.

He'd pay for it big time.

"She'll probably show up after class and kill me for letting that pervert take Rin anywhere!" He muttered under his breath. "I hope she at least gives me time to kill Miroku first, 'cause he started it!"

Shaking his head, he finally decided he ought to stop thinking about the whole situation before it drove him insane. 

He abruptly stopped pacing and sat down on the living room sofa, staring blindly at the TV. He had nothing better to do until Kagome finished with her classes for the day, so he might as well fill it with mindless programming.

Inuyasha snorted when it finally registered what was on TV. "Mindless doesn't even begin to describe this junk!"

Not knowing where the remote was and too lazy to get up and turn the channel, Inuyasha was stuck watching some odd children's show that Rin had been watching earlier and wondering how so many full-grown men could bring themselves to act so stupid.

"Keh! Rotten show. My brain's started rotting already and I haven't even been watching it for five minutes!" Despite his obvious disgust, he still made no move to get up and change the channel.

Probably because the show was soon forgotten.

'What if Kagome doesn't want to have anything to do with me if Rin's not here?' He worried silently, already having forgotten his resolution not to think about it. 'We never really spent any time around each other before Rin, so maybe she doesn't like me at all and helps just because of the runt.' 

That thought was terribly depressing and made his ears droop.

'But what if she's using Rin as an excuse to spend time with me?' That made his ears perk back up immediately. 'After all, she didn't seem to mind being so close to me last night, and I know I could hear her heart racing from something that couldn't have been fear.' Inuyasha's face took on a satisfied expression.

Now he was more impatient than ever for Kagome to hurry up and finish with her class. Even if she killed him for letting Miroku take Rin for the day, at least he'd die while being alone with her.

How…romantic…

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"What are we going to do today, Uncle Miroku?" Rin was gazing at him with a curious expression as they walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. In her other hand she held a glazed doughnut for her breakfast, courtesy of Miroku the cheapskate.

'Just because I told Inuyasha that I would feed her doesn't mean I'm going to put out a lot of good money feeding her full meals all day! Kids don't really need to eat much anyway, do they?'

Praying to God that none of the women that they were passing by could read his thoughts like Sango always seemed to be able to do, Miroku smiled down at Rin like the charming father figure he was aiming to be. "I thought we might spend some time at the park! Won't that be nice?"

Rin's eyes got big. "Really? On a SCHOOL day? Papa Sess would never have let Rin do something like that!"

"Of course." Miroku shrugged. "You don't have to go to school while you stay with your Uncle Inu, right? So you should get to have some fun. Later, we can go have lunch at the café and you can meet someone that works there for me when Shippo can't work."

"Really?" She looked excited at the thought of getting to meet someone new. "Who? Are they as nice as Shippo?"

Miroku gave her a mock frown. "I can't tell you that, now can I? That wouldn't be any fun at all!"

Rin giggled at his antics, causing him to smile.

'This really isn't so bad. I don't see why people say taking care of a child is so hard. It makes me want to find someone to bear a few for me more than ever!' His face turned dreamy as he gazed sightlessly ahead of him.

The rest of the walk to the park was uneventful and quiet, giving Miroku time to play out about six mental fantasies, and in each one he ended up romancing a beautiful woman dressed in a very tight maid's uniform while she pushed a baby carriage through the park. 

Seems like someone has been watching too much TV.

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Inuyasha had just dozed off on the couch thanks to the mindless children's programming his laziness was forcing him to endure, when his phone suddenly decided to ring. It took almost all the energy he could muster to actually get off his butt and pick up the phone.

"Yeah, what do you want?" The haze of sleep was still clouding his eyes, and Inuyasha blinked owlishly to clear them.

"So, I see you're not too 'busy' to talk to me this time."

Inuyasha was wide-awake now, and he growled into the phone. "What the hell are you calling again for? Don't you think my life is already bad enough now without my having to talk to you, too?"

Sesshoumaru was faintly amused. "If I had known it would make you so happy, I would have insisted on talking to you last night. But Rin told me you were rather busy with a - friend."

The hanyou could feel his stomach slowly start to sink towards his feet. "What did she tell you?" He had to force each word past painfully clenched teeth, which only increased Sesshoumaru's amusement.

"Just that you and 'Aunt' Kagome were busy. Is there something I need to know?"

"NO!" Inuyasha nearly shouted. "She's none of your business, so just drop it before I decide to do myself a favor and hang up!"

Sesshoumaru sighed lightly. "I believe it is my business since you are taking care of Rin. Speaking of Rin, where is she right now? I promised I would speak to her each time I call."

Inuyasha immediately forgot about their previous subject and instead started to panic over the new one. What the heck was he supposed to tell him?!?!

"Uh - well, she's…taking a nap at the moment!" he finally managed to spit out.

Sesshoumaru was silent for several moments, and Inuyasha held his breath. He might not care what his oh-so-hated brother thought, but he sure as heck wasn't about to give him anything new to hold over his head.

"Fine. Just tell her I will call back later and talk to her then."

Inuyasha nearly sighed in relief, but was able to stop himself just in time. "Oi, before you hang up, I wanna know…where the hell are you, anyway?"

"Traveling, of course." Was the smooth reply. "My business is not anything you need to know about. Just contact my office in case of an emergency, and they will contact me. I'm sure you have the phone number listed somewhere in the papers that I left for you."

"That's not what I wanted to know!" Inuyasha snapped, annoyed over the evasive reply. "I don't care what your stupid business is, I just wanna know WHERE you are!"

"Goodbye, Inuyasha."

Before the angry half-demon could argue further, Sesshoumaru hung up. By now, the plastic covering Inuyasha's phone was starting to show some serious cracks. It probably wouldn't survive until Rin left.

"I swear, the minute he shows his face here at the end of the month, I'm gonna kill him!" He yelled, venting his anger and probably annoying several neighbors. "Some business, huh? Yeah right! I bet whatever he's doing is illegal! Stupid, miserable, son-of-a-"

Suddenly, something the upset hanyou had heard while on the phone finally managed to sink into his brain, causing him to stop dead in the middle of his ranting.

"What the hell? Was that - DISCO music playing in the background?"

Inuyasha shook his head furiously, convinced he finally must have been driven mad by all the insanity going on the last several days.

"Now I'm starting to hear things…" He grumbled to himself.

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Miroku sat in a swing and gazed around the almost empty park listlessly. So much for getting a chance to live out his dreams.

"Look, Uncle Miroku! Rin climbed up here all by herself!" The small girl waved at him from the top rung of a tall slide, which just happened to be the highest piece of playground equipment in the area. When Miroku finally looked up at her, one of her feet slipped.

Rin giggled. "Oops!"

'Oh my God, Inuyasha's going to KILL me if she falls!' The dark-haired man suddenly had a few flashbacks of his life, and almost all of them featured Inuyasha beating him into the ground. In fact, almost all Miroku's memories of Inuyasha seemed to involve some sort of pain.

Jumping up from his swing and almost falling on his face in the process, Miroku waved his hands frantically at Rin as he ran towards her. "What do you think you're doing? Get down from there, now!" He managed to reach the slide just as Rin took a seat at the top.

"Okay!"

Miroku cringed when he realized she was coming down just like she told him she would, just not the way he'd meant for her to. She squealed as she slipped down the cool metal of the slide, going so fast that she flew right off the end and fell on her butt in the dirt.

Nearly panicking, Miroku quickly kneeled onto the ground next to the giggling Rin and checked her over for any wounds. What had ever possessed Miroku to make the stupid promise that he would bring Rin back without a single scratch? Especially when he knew full well that Inuyasha would take him at his word.

"That was really fun, Uncle Miroku! Can I please do it again?" She stared up at him hopefully.

"NO! I mean, uh - doesn't that nice, safe swing over there look like much more fun?" He stared hopefully back at her.

Rin shrugged. "Okay!"

The relieved Miroku followed her back towards the swings he had occupied before, wondering if he would really manage to survive the day. 'If Rin doesn't kill me with a heart attack, Inuyasha's sure to finish me off when I bring her back tonight.'

The soon-to-be-dead café owner continued to bemoan his fate while sitting in the swing next to Rin, who was now happily singing 'The Song That Never Ends' as loudly as she could. It was the perfect thing to make his misery complete.

Suddenly, a very welcome sound made itself heard over the obnoxious song.

"I guess you got stuck with babysitting for the day, huh?"

Miroku's head shot up when he heard the blessedly ADULT voice. 

"Sango!"

The dark-haired girl was currently leaning up against a large tree, watching the pair with an amused expression on her face. She had a backpack sitting at her feet.

"Aunt Sango!" Rin was swinging very high, but the moment she saw the older girl standing under the shady tree she jumped and tumbled to the ground, much to Miroku's horror.

"NO!" He launched himself out of his own swing and nearly tackled the little girl, looking her over for any scratches or bruises. "Don't ever jump out of a swing like that! You might break your neck- or worse!"

Sango raised an eyebrow. "What in the world could be worse than a broken neck?"

"Scratches." He muttered absently.

"Okaaay…"

Miroku gave her a dry look and stood up. "Let's just say I made a promise to Inuyasha."

A look of comprehension suddenly dawned on Sango's face, and she nodded in understanding. "Scarily enough, that makes sense."

Sango was watching Miroku carefully, and noted the fact that this had to be the longest period of time that had ever passed with the both of them together that he hadn't tried to touch her. It was such a shocking revelation that she couldn't help but comment on it. "Are you okay, Miroku? You're not…acting like yourself today."

He quickly grabbed her hands. "I'm touched that you care enough to have noticed."

She glared at him. "Touch me anywhere else and I swear you won't be conscious to keep whatever promise you made to Inuyasha!"

As if her threat had snapped him out of his perverted haze, Miroku dropped her hands and looked around with dread. "Oh no, where did Rin go?"

Sango pointed up, half smiling.

"Oh my God! Rin, get out of that tree! If you fall, I'll die!"

Watching the frantic man as he attempted to climb the tree himself, Sango couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for him. After all, he hadn't groped her, and he seemed to be having a lot of problems where Rin was concerned. Maybe she could help him out just this once. But not because she liked him or anything, she just felt sorry for him!

Didn't she?

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So, can you guys guess what children's show I was using in the story? It was one of the ones I was subjected to while babysitting my cousin's daughter a lot this past year. I never realized until then just how scary stuff like that could be. I'm still scarred for life by the Teletubbies!

Anyway, please review and let me know what you guys thought! Did you like it? Hate it? Actually feel sorry for Miroku? Feel no pity at all? LOL 

Anyway, thanks for reading! ^_^


	12. Questionable Tactics

I am so glad that everyone seems to really be enjoying the story so far! So many of you have been so good about leaving your opinions for me and correcting me when I have made a mistake. And some of you have also been so good about playing along when I ask questions, lol…Inutori & InuXiaoyu guessed correctly that the children's show that I was poking fun at in the last chapter was 'The Wiggles'. Good job! (Although I should probably feel more sorry for you guys than anything else if you've actually seen it)

Sashlea - You have my pity, lol…and yes, I have seen that story. It was very funny. ^_^

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters, though with all the time and work I put into stories about them that I earn no money off of, you could probably say that they own me.

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Twelve

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Kagome tapped the pen in her hand on the desk in a distorted pattern, too bored to even bother making the effort to time it properly. Several feet away from her, the professor continued to talk about things that were far beyond her comprehension at the moment.

'Ugh, do I really care what an artist was thinking when he decided to take up finger painting? At least, that's what it looks like to me. I bet Rin could do a better job if I gave her some paint.' 

Kagome glared in irritation at the ugly picture being gestured to by her teacher, as if it were the painting's fault entirely that she was stuck in class when she would much rather be somewhere else.

Or, to be more exact, with someone else…

'I wonder what Inuyasha and Rin are doing right now? Probably deciding what they want for lunch…ramen, or ramen.' Kagome smiled at the thought. 'Or maybe Inuyasha's being subjected to a morning marathon of educational children's programming.' This made her smile turn very Inuyasha-like. What she wouldn't give to see that!

Suddenly, a certain memory popped into Kagome mind and made her blush. To hide it, she crossed her arms and rested her head on them. 'Oh my God, I can't believe that happened last night! I feel like such an idiot! With Inuyasha so close to me and in such a position, not only did I enjoy the entire thing…I didn't want him to move, either! Aggghh, stupid Miroku! He'll probably tell Sango all about the fact that Inuyasha and I were in bed together last night, and then I'll never hear the end of it!'

Poor Kagome was so distracted by her mental rants that she completely missed anything that went on during the rest of her class.

"Excuse me, Higurashi-san, but I think you might be interested in knowing that class is over."

Kagome jerked her head up and found herself staring the teacher in the face. "I, uh, I mean…I'm so sorry!" Flushing even more brightly now than she had earlier, Kagome made a hasty exit before she could be questioned about not paying attention.

"I can't believe I did that!" She wailed out loud, causing the other students that she was passing by to stare at her like she was insane. "Oh, I am such an idiot!"

It took her until she was about halfway home, but Kagome finally managed to get her embarrassment under control just enough to look at the situation a little more carefully. She really needed to do something before her grades could take a turn for the worse.

'As embarrassing as it is going to be, I think I need to go talk to Inuyasha and clear things up. I mean, nothing REALLY happened last night, right?' She chewed one of her fingernails nervously. 'I'm just being stupid and worrying about something that he probably hasn't even given a second thought about!' 

Cringing, she tried to ignore how little that thought actually comforted her.

"I am just being stupid again!" She berated herself out loud, once again earning herself attention from other people on the street. "All I have to do is go talk to him and everything will be fine! Then I won't keep making a fool of myself by zoning out in class like I did today."

Never mind the fact that she was making a fool of herself anyway. She just didn't seem to notice all the strange looks that everyone was giving her as she turned and made her way down the street where her apartment building was located.

Oh well, ignorance is bliss…

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"Where are we headed, anyway?" Sango questioned Miroku, suspicion lacing her voice. "Not knowing what you have planned isn't a feeling I like very much."

Miroku gave her a wounded look. "Do you really trust me so little, Sango?"

The dark-haired girl didn't bother to answer him and instead gave him a 'look' over the top of Rin's head. The little girl was happily skipping between the pair, oblivious to the slight tension between her companions.

"Okay," Miroku sighed in defeat. "If you must know, we are headed back to the café for lunch, and I am generously planning to treat you and little Rin to a wonderful meal. Doesn't that sound nice?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively and barely managed to keep his hands to himself. 

Sango groaned. "Nice? Great, now not only do I have to deal with a pervert, but HER too! Can't you think of somewhere else to go instead?"

"Nope!" Miroku smiled. "No cash." He pulled the lining of his pockets out to prove it. "Besides, I promised Rin she could meet my 'favorite' employee, and I wouldn't want to break a promise." His smile had turned to a telling grimace, a rare look for Miroku to have.

Rin looked up at him. "Who am I gonna meet? And what's a pervert?"

Sango winced and placed one of her hands on Rin's head. "You don't need to know that right now, Rin, but I'm sure you'll find out when you're older."

"Okay." Shrugging, Rin suddenly grabbed Sango's hand and pulled on it. "Let's hurry so we can get there real fast 'cause Rin is hungry!"

Sango obliged her and allowed Rin to drag her hand in hand down the rest of the block while Miroku stared after the pair speculatively.

'Sango would make a very wonderful mother, that is plain to see. Sometimes I wonder why I bother fooling around so much when I could make a serious effort where she is concerned. When I behave, she can almost stand being around me.' Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'Perhaps I should rethink my strategy.'

Giving the subject several more moments of deep thought, the plotting café owner suddenly smiled happily and hurried to catch up to Sango and Rin.

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Miroku politely pushed the café door open and allowed Sango and Rin to enter before him, just as a polite gentleman should. Sango watched him like a hawk and was very surprised when he made no move to touch her as she passed.

'Maybe he's decided he shouldn't act like a lech with Rin around.' That was the only logical reasoning poor, confused Sango could come up with for his behavior. She had to admit that if that was the case, at least he was starting to show some good sense, if not much. 'Perhaps all those knocks on the head are actually doing him some good instead of harming him.'

After shutting the door, Miroku politely smiled to all the ladies in the room before jogging towards the counter. "I'm back!" He called out, a nervous edge to his voice.

"You don't have to shout, I'm coming!" Another voice yelled in response. A moment later the door leading to the kitchen opened and someone came around the corner of the counter to greet the group with a cold stare. "Didn't I tell you earlier to get lost and stay lost?"

Sango gave the woman a strained smile. "It's so nice to see you, too, Kagura."

The woman didn't bother to respond to the greeting and instead turned her eyes towards Rin, the sight of the small girl causing them to widen in surprise. "Who is that?"

"I'm Rin!" The small girl examined the woman standing before her carefully and noticed the very odd eye color, which caused Rin to stare at her in confusion. "You look kinda mean. Are you a youkai or something like my Papa Sess?"

"Rin!" Sango gave her a stern glare, trying not to smile at the amusing comment. "Don't say things like that to people. It's very rude to comment about their looks. And yes, she is a youkai."

"Believe me Rin, there is no youkai on earth quite like your 'Papa Sess'." Miroku added with a half-laugh and wary glance in Kagura's direction. "Just ask your Uncle Inu; I'm sure he has some interesting stories about your papa, although I'm not sure he'll tell them to you. He might, though, just to be mean."

"So this is the little girl that mutt Inuyasha is taking care of, eh?" Kagura had a coolly amused gleam in her eyes, obviously over the thought of Inuyasha having to take care of a child. 

'Those two never have been able to get along very well.' Sango mentally observed, correctly guessing the cause of the smirk on Kagura's face. 'Although that could be true about Inuyasha and nearly anyone, those two seem to get along especially badly for no real reason.'

Sango frowned and watched as Miroku introduced Rin properly, noting the way Kagura huffed and turned her nose up before going back to work without saying a word. 'That idiot! I'll never know why he keeps her around like he does. Probably too scared to fire her…'

Kagura and her job working during the week at Miroku's café was something of a mystery. She worked the day shift while Shippo took the night shift during the week, and that left Miroku to come and go as he pleased. It was such a small place that it didn't take much work to run, and he tended to take advantage of that fact and use his free time to terrorize Sango (and other innocent women) as much as he possibly could.

'I suppose she really is nice enough to the customers, and gets her job done, but she certainly is rude to everyone else.' Sango continued to regard the other woman thoughtfully. 'Especially Miroku. Although I guess it is a big plus that Miroku is too scared of her to actually grope her.'

Miroku suddenly grabbed Sango's arm and pulled her towards a table, startling her from her thoughts. "Come with me so we can sit and talk for a while. Kagura will keep Rin busy."

"Why in the world did you want to introduce Rin to Kagura of all people?" Sango questioned as she sat down. The woman in question was staring down in annoyance as Rin questioned her about her youkai powers. She obviously didn't like children very much.

Miroku smiled sheepishly. "Because I knew it would annoy her, so I couldn't resist."

"Cruel."

"I felt like a little revenge. Unlike Shippo, she tries to get rid of me every chance she gets, even if it means more work for herself."

Sango glared at him. "More like you want revenge because she won't let you touch her."

"That too." Miroku agreed calmly.

The dark-haired man cringed inwardly when Sango's stare became ten times colder, almost on par with Kagura's. He really didn't understand why he enjoyed baiting her where other women were concerned, but for some reason it gave him a faint hope that she might like him, if even just a tiny bit.

'Most of the time I feel like I have no chance with her at all.' He reflected. 'Then that causes me to do stupid things that I probably shouldn't, just to gain her attention. I really am pathetic, aren't I?' This thought made him sigh despondently.

"What, don't tell me you're getting depressed just because you can't grope Kagura. Are you really that twisted?" Sango looked ready to clobber him, all the while telling herself that her reaction was based on sheer principle and that jealousy had nothing to do with it whatsoever.

Miroku mustered a smile. "Actually, I was just feeling sorry for myself because I can't fire her."

"Yes, you could."

"Then you must really want me to die a swift, painful death to think I could do that."

"Swift maybe, but not too painful." Sango couldn't resist smiling at the playfully wounded look he gave her. "I'd actually feel sorry for you if you died for doing something other than groping."

Feeling slightly more hopeful than he did before, Miroku suddenly decided this might be a perfect chance to try the change in tactics he'd thought of earlier. Maybe it would work like it should and soon he and Sango would be on the right track towards bliss.

"Sango, have you ever thought about having children?" He kept his expression carefully blank.

"Wh-what do you mean?" The sudden change in topics threw Sango off balance slightly. "Where in the world did that question come from?" She glanced at Rin, who was happily eating a sandwich Kagura had fixed her to get her to shut up for a while.

"I believe you would make a wonderful mother."

Sango blushed. "I-I'm still in college! I would like kids later, but it isn't really something I think much about right now."

Miroku smiled, realizing how flustered he'd made her. "But you have thought about it, correct? It seems you and I think quite a bit alike, then. I personally would love to have a child with your excellent good sense and my charming attitude to take over this place one day."

As much as she'd hate to admit it, Sango felt almost flattered. At least until it clicked that he seemed to be talking about them having children TOGETHER.

"Sango, I have something very important to ask of you." He picked up her hand and held it gently to stop her from speaking.

'Oh my God, what does he think he's gonna ask me?!?!' Sango could feel her heart rate rise dramatically. 'Is he thinking marriage? But I'm not even out of college! I can't think about something like that yet! It's too soon for us! I-'

"Sango, please think about this carefully before you answer me." Miroku continued. "Will you please do me the great honor of…'

'He's really going to ask me!' Sango's mind shrieked.

"…bearing all of my future children?"

The dead silence that followed this was so thick that you could have heard a pin drop. All the old ladies in the room were nearly sitting on the edge of their seats while waiting for the answer, and even Kagura had stopped her work to listen with interest.

Sango finally managed to find her voice which had been lost moments before. "YOU DISGUSTING PERVERT!" she shouted, shaking off his hand. "And here I'd actually hoped that you were being serious for once in your pathetic life!"

"Hoped?" Miroku echoed in a daze, suddenly more than a little shocked himself. "You were actually hoping…"

Sango clapped a hand over her mouth in horror over the fact that she'd practically just admitted to him that she was interested. Without saying another word, she dashed from the building, automatically remembering to clobber Miroku on her way by. Some old habits die hard, it seems.

Rin and Kagura walked over to the fallen man.

"Are you okay, Uncle Miroku?" Rin asked, patting him on the head in concern and getting peanut butter from her fingers in his hair.

"Wonderful…" He murmured dreamily.

Kagura rolled her eyes before turning and heading back to the counter. "Well, what do you know. Maybe someone likes you a little bit after all, though I have no idea why."

Miroku just sighed happily.

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Finally, almost a whole chapter featuring Miroku and Sango! But don't worry, Inuyasha and Kagome will be back into focus again in the next chapter since I can't ignore my favorite couple for very long. But until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter and that you will take the time to review! I love hearing from all of you, so let me know what you think!


	13. Getting to Know You More

Thank you so much to everybody who still reviewed, even while ff.net was so screwed up. I was so happy when I finally got to read all of them! Your comments are all appreciated very much. And sorry it took me so long to update again, but if you have read the note I put in my author profile, then I'm sure you understand. ^_^

I've noticed that a lot of people are very curious about Kagura. She does play a part later in the story, but her being in the story isn't too significant. Obviously Miroku needs someone to work at the café during the day while he runs around and gets himself in trouble, and I thought Kagura might be an interesting character to use since I've never attempted to write anything with her in it before.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but my cousin did once. But he died, so she had to get another fish. I do own Sesshoumaru, though…*points to her own fish bowl* :-P

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Thirteen 

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When Kagome got home, the apartment she shared with Sango was unusually quiet. Especially since Kagome knew that Sango should have been finished with her morning classes long before noon, and it was almost one o' clock.

"Sango?" She called out, heading for the bedroom the two girls shared. 

After not receiving an answering call and finding the bedroom empty, Kagome finally just shrugged off her roommate's unusual absence and went to the closet to drop off her school bag. Once she had it put away, she turned to head to the kitchen, but not before shooting a longing glance towards her bed. 

"I'm starting to regret staying up so late last night to study." She sighed and rubbed her tired eyes.

Leaving the bedroom, Kagome walked into the kitchen and looked around to see if Sango had left a note. Not finding any, she decided to leave one of her own since she didn't know where the other girl was or when she would be back.

After writing the note, Kagome headed back out the door and up the stairs to go talk to Inuyasha. Stopping in front of his door, she decided to try the knob first to see if it was unlocked. To her surprise, it wasn't, which meant someone else must have been there before her. Inuyasha never locked the door unless he was intentionally trying to keep someone out.

"Probably Miroku." She muttered under her breath.

Deciding to forget about that for the moment, Kagome rapped her fist against the door several times before calling out to him. "Inuyasha! Open up, it's me!"

"I'm coming!" He shouted from somewhere inside. Kagome had a hard time pinpointing his location from his voice, but it sounded like he was in the bathroom.

A second later she giggled when the sound of the toilet flushing could be heard.

"I heard that!" He again yelled, but this time he sounded closer. By the time he actually managed to get the door open, her giggle had turned into an all out laugh. "I'm not even gonna ask what you find so funny about that."

"Good." Kagome smiled at him. "So, are you going to let me come in?"

Inuyasha hastily got out of her way so she could enter the apartment.

"Listen, I know you're probably here just to see Rin and stuff, but-" Inuyasha ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "You don't have to stay, 'cause the runt isn't here right now."

Kagome stared at him in confusion. "Not here? Where in the world is she?"

"With Miroku."

This made Kagome's eyebrows rise in disbelief. "What would she be doing alone with him? Wait, don't tell me." She rolled her eyes. "He wanted her to help him attract women, right?"

It was Inuyasha's turn to be confused. "How did you guess?"

"I think I understand how his warped mind works, as much as I'm not proud of that fact. Besides that, he does have a one-track mind where women are concerned." She gave him a stern look, causing him to flinch. "I just can't believe you let him take Rin somewhere alone, especially with a reason like that! Are you crazy?"

Inuyasha sweatdropped and took a step back. "Hey, it was either that or have him tell everyone about what, uh…happened last night." His face turned bright red and he hastily continued. "Not that anything went on last night, but it did look bad, and-"

"Miroku's perverted, so he thinks everything that happens is perverted." Kagome finished dryly with a slight pink tinge on her cheeks. "Don't worry, I think I get the picture now. That must be why your front door was actually locked for once."

He sighed in relief before grinning. "Yeah. Once he left with the runt, I locked it so he couldn't bring her back."

Kagome laughed.

"So…" Inuyasha's face turned serious again. "You aren't upset about what happened last night, are you? Not that anything happened." He had to stop himself from rambling nervously again like he had a few minutes before.

'I guess nothing happened after all, at least according to him.' Kagome managed to smile weakly, attempting to ignore how depressed that knowledge made her feel. "No, of course not. It was my fault anyway for looking at those pictures, even though you didn't want me to. I'm sorry about that." She hung her head, looking more upset and guilty than he had ever seen her.

Afraid that she might start crying at any moment, Inuyasha searched his brain for anything he could say to try to make her feel better. He finally blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I really didn't want anybody to ever see 'em, but if someone had to then I guess it could have been someone worse than you."

'Stupid!' His mind shouted. 'Why the hell did you have to go and say something like that, huh?'

"I'm not sure if I should be offended by that, or flattered." Kagome's small smile stopped him from mentally beating himself up further since she seemed to be amused, even if it was faint.

There was an awkward pause.

"So…" Inuyasha gestured awkwardly towards the sofa. "You wanna sit down, or would you rather leave since Rin isn't here? Miroku's supposed to have her the whole day, and you've probably got better things to do than hang around with me."

Kagome shook her head at his slightly forlorn expression before moving to sit down. "I'll stay for a little while at least, if you don't mind. I've barely ever had a chance to really talk to you without someone else around. And I'd MUCH rather hang around with you than do school work."

Inuyasha couldn't believe his luck! She actually wanted to stay even though Rin wasn't there? The thought of actually getting to spend time alone with her was ruining his ability to form any other coherent thoughts at the moment, so all he could do was sit down next to her and nod again.

A moment of silence reigned, while each tried to work up the courage to speak.

"Do you mind if I ask about the photo album?" Kagome tugged on the edge of her skirt nervously. "I was kind of curious to know why you keep something like that if you hate it so much. I mean, I personally would have burned something like that a long time ago." She mentally urged him not to yell at her for asking him personal questions.

Surprisingly enough, though, he didn't seem to mind.

"It was one of the few things my mother left to me when she died." Inuyasha sighed and slumped down into the couch. "She loved photography and took every single picture she could of me, collecting the ones she liked the most in that book. I didn't realize she'd done it 'til after she died."

"I'm sorry about your mother." Kagome said quietly. "She obviously loved you very much to do something like that. I'm sorry I laughed at the pictures."

He actually smiled at her. "It's okay, she did too - a lot."

Both were silent for a moment, but this time it was a comfortable silence that filled the small apartment.

"My mother was never very good at taking pictures, but my father loved to." Kagome suddenly volunteered some information out of the blue about her own family. "He died when I was twelve."

Much to his private embarrassment, Inuyasha was getting a warm, fuzzy feeling over the fact that she was actually telling him about her own family. The hanyou desperately tried to ignore the feeling as best be could and continued to listen.

"I've never really told you anything about my family, have I?" When Inuyasha shook his head no with a suspiciously red face, Kagome gave him a curious glance before continuing. "Well, I have a little brother who is now in high school, my grandfather who runs a shrine, and my mother who has a full-time job just keeping us all sane."

Inuyasha laughed, causing his fangs to poke out. "I'd hate to say it, but I think she failed where you're concerned."

"Oh, hush!" Kagome smacked him on the arm. "I'm very sane, thank you. The only person my mother failed with was my grandfather. He's believed for years that he has mystical powers and would probably try to purify you if he ever met you."

"Maybe we should introduce him to Sesshoumaru."

This made Kagome laugh out loud, especially when Inuyasha got a rather wistful look on his face. "You REALLY don't like your brother, do you? But then, maybe you do like him if the worst thing you can think of to do to him is sic my grandfather on him."

"Oh, believe me, I've had years to think of everything horrible I'd like to do to him! Your grandfather's just another thing to add to the list."

Smiling at him while he started mentally going down his list, Kagome tried to work up her courage enough to ask more questions about his family. She finally realized that if she didn't go ahead and jump right in, he'd be content to sit there all night and fantasize about his brother's demise.

She took a deep breath. "I know you probably don't want me to ask, but why do you hate talking about your family so much? What happened?" 

The hesitant question took Inuyasha by surprise and he stared at her blankly for a moment. 

Kagome rushed on, embarrassed. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but I can't help wanting to know more about the story behind you…and Rin!" She smiled nervously, hoping he hadn't caught the fact that she was a lot more interested in hearing about him and not Rin.

He didn't.

"Actually…" Inuyasha propped his elbows on his knees and leaned over so that he could look at the floor instead of at her. "The thought of talking to you doesn't bother me nearly as much as it did just a day or two ago, although I dunno why."

Kagome could have been blown over by a strong breeze at that moment, she was so surprised at his admittance. That was the last response she had expected to her nosiness.

After a short period of silence, Inuyasha continued. "My family had a lot of problems, but up until my mother died, I had a good relationship with both of my parents. Sesshoumaru and I never got along, though."

"Why not?" Kagome questioned quietly.

A bitter laugh escaped, the sound unusual for Inuyasha. "What do humans really think of youkai? Or of hanyou?" For the first time since he began, Inuyasha looked up and waited for an answer.

"Well-" This took Kagome a few moments to think about and she decided to answer like she would if she'd been asked a question in one of her classes. Instead of focusing on her personal opinions, she looked at it more from a general viewpoint. "There used to be a lot of hate between the groups, but not for a long time now. Youkai are stronger than humans are, but much more rare, and humans are weaker but more populous. So both groups have a good reason to tolerate each other." Her brow scrunched up in thought. "As for hanyou, they seem to be accepted too as far as I can tell. Humans view them pretty much the same as a youkai."

"So even though I'm half human, they still look at me as if I'm a youkai, right?"

Kagome finally seemed to be catching on. "Youkai look at you as if you're human, don't they? They don't accept you any more than humans do."

Inuyasha nodded tersely, his whole frame stiff.

"So is that why your brother always hated you so much?"

"Hates." Inuyasha corrected her. "I'm pretty sure he must hate me just as much now as he used to. Why else would he be out to make my life miserable?"

Kagome's eyes were soft as she stared at the miserable half-demon. "Are you sure about that? If he really hates you, then why would he trust you so much with something he obviously cares about? I'm sure that even though Rin is human, he doesn't hate her at all."

This hadn't occurred to Inuyasha before, but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge the idea that Sesshoumaru might actually have a heart. "He may hate me, but he knows I'd never hurt a little kid and he's banking on that."

Sighing, Kagome knew arguing with him over it probably wouldn't get her very far. Instead, she decided to concentrate on something much more important.

"You may be odd, Inuyasha, but because of that you fit into our little group just fine." She laughed lightly and laid her head on his shoulder. "Having good friends like Miroku, Sango, and even myself who like you for who you are is much better than having a world full of humans or youkai that accept you for what you are, isn't it?"

Inuyasha had stiffened considerably at the feel of her head touching his shoulder, but relaxed as he listened to her words. He'd never really thought of it that way before.

'I always thought I had a pretty bad lot in life. My mother dying, the fight with my father, Sesshoumaru…but I guess it could be a lot worse. There was a time when I wished that I could have been born as anyone other than myself, but now I don't think I'd trade my life for anything. Even if it would mean that I wouldn't have to babysit the runt.' The last thought made him smile.

Inuyasha suddenly noticed that Kagome's breathing had gradually evened out and become more shallow while he'd been lost in his thoughts, and realized she was probably falling asleep. Feeling content with the situation (if not insanely happy), he decided to just lean back and let her stay there. It's not like he had anything better to do for the moment. 

Or for the rest of his life, for that matter…

The afternoon was gradually getting later, but neither occupant of Inuyasha's little apartment seemed to notice the passing of time. Both were happy right where they were and didn't have any plans to move anytime soon. 

Just when he started drifting off to sleep himself, Inuyasha was startled awake by Kagome's groggy voice.

"You know," She yawned widely, barely awake. "You have a really bony shoulder."

The sound of Inuyasha's laughter echoed around the apartment.

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Yay! I finally managed to get the major editing done to the point where I am happy with it. I rewrite stuff so much before I post that the chapters rarely look anything like they did after I first wrote them. Anyway, thank you for reading! Please do my poor ego a favor read and review! ^_^


	14. Almost Doesn't Count

I'm in a very good mood today! I hit the 300th review mark (Thank you very, very much!), AND on top of that, I actually got a good idea for another story! That doesn't happen for me very often. I haven't had a really good idea for an Inuyasha story that I actually wanted to write since some time early last year. Now I guess I just need to make myself sit down and finish the last few chapters of this one so that I can get started on the new one. That will be hard, because I REALLY want to write it, but I try to make it a point not to work on more than one story at a time. That way the one I am working on is sure to get finished.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other creation of Rumiko Takahashi's wonderful imagination, but despite being so sadly underprivileged as a child, I still turned out perfectly normal. Right? *Crickets chirp*

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Fourteen 

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It was well past dark by the time Miroku and Rin made their way back towards Inuyasha's apartment after their little 'adventure' together, if you could call it that.

Miroku preferred to think of it as 'destiny'.

"Could my day have possibly been any more wonderful than it turned out?" Sighing happily, the dark-haired man reached over to pat Rin on the head when she yawned. She ignored his question, much too sleepy to listen to her crazy Uncle Miroku talk to himself.

'No, my day really couldn't have gotten any better!' He mentally answered himself. 'Sango practically tells me she loves me…well, as close as she would probably ever willingly get to saying it…and on top of that, I made it through the whole day without Rin injuring herself! Not even a tiny little scratch, just as I promised. Now I no longer have to fear for my life and I can return her safely to her proper keeper.'

Feeling like he wanted to shout, dance, skip, or even sing to use some of the pent-up energy his body seemed to be holding at the moment, Miroku didn't pay much attention to the sleepy-eyed little girl walking beside him. Instead he hummed 'The Song That Never Ends' brightly, having it still stuck in his head from that morning when Rin had been singing it.

Beside him, poor Rin was not having an easy time. Every few moments the sleepy little girl's eyes would slide closed and she would swerve, stumble, and snap them back open, obviously tired from her exciting day.

'Now, how do I go about winning my lovely Sango's affections in a way that won't get me injured?' Miroku contemplated seriously. 'I tried enticing her with children, but that obviously didn't work. Perhaps I should flaunt my physical attractions?'

Sharply turning the corner of a building and onto the street where their destination lay, Miroku ended up several paces ahead of Rin. While his attention was diverted and he was unable to see her, Rin's eyes closed once again and she stumbled - right into the wall of the corner building!

'I could always tell Sango that I…I am so dead!' In mid thought, Miroku had frozen at the sound of a small grunt before turning around just in time to watch in horror as Rin fell on her butt.

The street corner was eerily quiet for several moments. 

"A-are you okay?" Miroku finally gathered his wits enough to squeak, sounding more like a mouse than a man as he hurried over to her. "Please tell me you aren't scratched anywhere!"

Rin just put a hand over her nose and held it there, eyes wide and unfocused.

'Well, she isn't crying.' He reasoned with himself, leaning over to get a better look. 'That means it really can't be that bad, can it?'

That's when the ear-splitting wailing began.

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"Ha! I win again!"

Inuyasha scowled, flicking his black checker pieces at Kagome in a petulant gesture. "Yeah, well don't sound so sad about it."

Kagome shrugged, still grinning widely. "I can't help myself! When you grow up with a little brother that wins every single game you play with him, it makes you pathetically happy on the rare occasion when you actually win against someone else!"

"Getting all pathetically happy over winning a stupid game is just so…so…pathetic!" He grumbled. "I'm sick of this game."

Kagome gave him a smug look. "Getting pathetically grumpy over a game is so…so…pathetic!" She mimicked. "You're just mad because I won three times in a row and you didn't win once."

"Keh! Believe what you want."

The two had been playing checkers for over an hour while waiting for Miroku to bring Rin back. Both were wide-awake after their little nap that afternoon and neither seemed to be suffering from any embarrassment after falling asleep on the couch together.

Kagome opened her mouth to tease Inuyasha some more over his poor attitude, when she noticed that his ears were perked and that he seemed to be distracted. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't think so." He frowned thoughtfully. "I just hear some kind of weird wailing coming from outside. It's far enough away, though, that I can't tell much more about it. It might be a kid crying." He paused for a moment. "Or possibly a dying cat."

"Inuyasha!" She scolded, before suddenly blinking in surprise. "Wait a minute. You can hear THAT well?" They were on the third story and the outside walls were fairly soundproof (at least to humans), so it was hard for her to hear much of anything beyond the passing of an occasional car. If he could hear stuff OUTSIDE that well, then…

"Yeah." He answered her question carelessly. A moment later he glanced at her and suddenly felt nervous after spotting the dark look of suspicion in her eyes. With good reason, too. She could be scary when she was mad!

"You must have some pretty amazing hearing, then." She leaned a little closer to him, which caused him to lean back to keep a safe distance between them. "You wouldn't happen to be able to hear anything in other apartments around you really well, would you? Say…the one below you, for instance?" Kagome's eyes were narrowed and focused intently on him.

"Just a little!" Inuyasha had to work hard to swallow properly.

"How little?"

Inuyasha tried to think of a way to answer that wouldn't cause her to try to kill him, or worse, move out of her apartment. He'd rather suffer physical injuries any day. "Well, uh, if I try to listen then I can understand what's going on and what people are saying, but if I don't then I can't understand anything or even hear it that well." He held his breath.

"Is that so?" Kagome considered what he said carefully. She had always suspected that he could probably hear a few things, especially if someone was being loud, but she never really considered whether or not he could hear normal conversations. " And how often do you try?"

"Almost never, I swear!"

She sighed wearily. "Do you promise that you're telling me the truth?"

"Of course! As long as the noise is at a normal level." He'd decided that he probably ought to throw that in so he couldn't be accused of withholding anything later.

Kagome suddenly blushed when a very unwanted thought came to mind. "What about…singing?"

Despite the danger, Inuyasha couldn't help himself; he grinned. "You sing really well in the shower. Sango sounds like a dying cat, though."

The horror in her eyes after this little bit of information was priceless and he couldn't stop himself from laughing. It was even almost worth getting jumped and nearly strangled to death. 

Almost. 

For a weak human, she sure had an impressive grip!

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Miroku listened at the apartment door, trying to pick a decent opportunity to barge in on the pair. He knew if he chose an embarrassing moment, the two inside would be much more likely to overlook Rin's…er, just slightly swollen nose.

When he heard Inuyasha's laughter followed by strangling sounds, Miroku decided it was probably a good time for him to act. Counting on the door being unlocked, he shifted the now sleeping Rin in his arms so that he could have one hand free to turn the knob. Quietly opening the door, he entered the apartment.

The first thing he saw was Kagome sitting on Inuyasha, glaring at him while he rubbed his sore neck.

His timing couldn't have been more perfect!

"I'm back!" He called out cheerfully. Kagome and Inuyasha both started violently before turning to stare at he and Rin with wide eyes, and he smiled back at them innocently. "You two could have put a 'do not disturb' sign on the door, you know."

Nearly squeaking in embarrassment, Kagome scrambled to remove herself from Inuyasha's stomach while he hastily sat up, trying not to look as disgruntled over the interruption as he felt. Inuyasha might not have enjoyed getting strangled, but he couldn't complain about the fact that Kagome had seemed so comfortable sitting on him. It was a pretty personal position, after all.

No matter how hard he tried to hide how he felt, though, Miroku saw right through him and wanted to laugh out loud at the look on the hanyou's face.

"I suppose it's not too late." He mused out loud instead. "If you two would rather I keep Rin for the night, I can always take her home with me while you continue with whatever you two were doing together."

"No!" Kagome shouted from her spot on the couch. She seemed to be having trouble breathing properly, much less talking coherently. "You don't have to do that! I mean, we weren't doing anything bad! He just made me mad, and I got a little carried away!" Her voice had risen in pitch as she hurried to explain things to Miroku.

Inuyasha's eyebrows rose. "Nothing bad, you say? What do you call trying to strangle me?"

Kagome was spluttering by this point, and Miroku suddenly had a rare burst of pity for the flustered girl. It couldn't have been because Inuyasha was giving him a horrible death glare for making her so upset in the first place.

"Kagome-sama, please forgive me for teasing you. I know very well that you have much more honor than to EVER do anything like that with Inuyasha."

"OI! What's that supposed to mean?!?!"

Inuyasha was growling in a rather scary way, so Miroku hastily backed up a step and tried to correct his mistake. "What I mean to say is that you would never consider lowering yourself to-" Inuyasha's glare became just as menacing as the growl. "Oh, never mind." Miroku sighed in defeat. "I've brought Rin back so I'll just be going now!"

Setting the little girl down on the couch, Miroku made a quick exit.

"Stupid jerk." Inuyasha muttered. "He just can't seem to keep his damn nose out of everyone else's business."

"Inuyasha…"

When he looked up, Inuyasha noticed Kagome was leaning over Rin with concern. Wondering what could be wrong, he hurried over to see what was upsetting the older girl.

"What the hell happened to her nose?" He shouted. Kagome quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and glared.

"If you wake her up, I swear I'll strangle you for real this time!"

Once Inuyasha nodded to show he planned to behave, she let go.

"What the hell is wrong with her nose?" He whispered this time. "It looks about twice as big as it should, and it's all red!"

Kagome touched it gingerly. "I don't think it's broken or anything. It just looks like something hit it hard enough to cause bleeding and swelling. Do you have some ice in your freezer? If we put that on it, the swelling will probably go down."

Inuyasha stalked off to the small kitchen, cursing under his breath the whole way.

'It's so cute how upset he is over Rin getting hurt. He'd never admit it, but he really cares about her as if she really were his niece.' Still leaning over Rin, Kagome listened to the sounds of Inuyasha chipping away at some ice, probably with his claws. 'I bet underneath all that attitude, he's really about as scary as a cuddly teddy bear, especially where children are concerned.'

Kagome suddenly grimaced. "Well, if nothing else, he's certainly less scary than 'Sessy-poo'. That bear really gives me the creeps for some reason." She glared at the harmless ball of stuffing where it sat in a chair across the room.

"Are you talking to yourself or something?" Inuyasha entered the room with a plastic bag full of ice and a washcloth. The bag of ice was the size of a softball, if not bigger. "Is this enough or do we need more?"

Kagome hid an amused smile. "I think that's plenty. Why don't you go find her sleeping clothes while I hold the ice? Then we can get her ready for bed."

After Inuyasha went inside the bedroom, Kagome quietly slipped into the kitchen and dumped about half the contents of the bag into the sink.

'He must not be all that familiar with handling such small injuries.' She mused silently. 'I suppose his demon blood would take care of a little swelling like that in no time flat.'

She finally settled back down beside Rin, holding the bag with the wash cloth wrapped around it against Rin's nose. She then waited for Inuyasha to come back into the living room.

"Oi, do ya think she'll want to wear the blue ones or yellow ones?" Inuyasha suddenly called from his bedroom. "She seems to like the blue ones, but she wore the yellow last night. I don't think I've ever seen her wear the green ones so she probably doesn't like those…"

Kagome's shoulders started to shake, and she desperately tried to hold back her laughter. Alas, the effort proved too much for her and several small giggles escaped.

"What the hell are you laughing about, wench?" Inuyasha appeared in the doorway. "I just asked a simple question."

Kagome wiped a tear from her eye. "I never realized you paid so much attention to a girl's clothes before!" She laughed again when his face turned red. "Since you seem to know so much about them, maybe you can help me. Does this skirt make me look fat? Should a try another color that would go better with my skin tone?"

His only answer to her questions was to throw a set of green pajamas at her before stomping back into the bedroom, blushing madly.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! The idea of Rin running into a wall might seem a bit far-fetched, but I actually based it off my cousin's daughter. I was babysitting her one day and I went to get a blanket from my room so that she could take a nap and she followed me. My room is set back a bit from the hall, so there is a wall that you have to walk by before you can turn and actually go down the hall. I went around it, and she was so sleepy that she walked right into it. ^^;; Poor thing, I felt bad for her, but it was terribly funny…

Anyway, thank you guys very much for reading! Please be kind and review! ^_^


	15. Milestone

*Sweatdrops* Wow, I never realized there were so many people out there who have stories about running into walls, windows, and especially poles. I know I should probably try to at least ACT sympathetic, but in reality, I don't think I've ever laughed so much at any of my reviews before! ^_^ 

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and no small children or perverts were REALLY hurt in the making of this story. The only thing that actually gets hurt here is Inuyasha's ego, but he's used to that…

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Fifteen 

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"Well, Inuyasha, as of tonight, it seems that you have officially survived a full two weeks with 'the runt', as you so charmingly call her. That means you are halfway through the month!" A cup of tea was raised as if in a toast.

"Oh joy." Inuyasha muttered sarcastically in response to his friend's irritating optimism. "Only two more weeks to suffer through. I can hardly contain myself."

Miroku leveled a flat gaze at his companion. "As if you are the one that should be speaking of suffering. I still haven't healed from the last time you attacked me!" His expression turned injured, trying to earn himself some sympathy. "Your unending cruelty never ceases to amaze me!"

"Keh! Stop whining. You're the one who promised that you'd bring the runt back without a scratch."

"It wasn't a scratch. It was a bloody nose."

It was Inuyasha's turn to turn a burning glare on Miroku, and the other man meekly backed down from the argument, wisely realizing that he'd pushed too far for the moment. If there was one thing he'd learned in all the years he'd known Inuyasha, it was that you should never underestimate the protective instincts of a dog-demon, even if he is only half of one.

When Inuyasha was satisfied that Miroku was going to shut up, he stopped glaring and turned back to stare out the front windows of the café to the darkness outside.

Despite Inuyasha's grumpy attitude about the whole situation, the last couple of weeks since the day Miroku had 'borrowed' Rin hadn't really been all that bad for him. He'd gotten to spend a lot of time with Kagome when she didn't have class, and even Rin had managed to grow on him a little bit. Not that he'd ever admit it, if course.

Overall, things were actually looking up for Inuyasha.

"So, shall we celebrate this milestone by going out and picking up women?" Miroku placed one hand over his heart in a dramatic gesture. "Now that you've felt the joys of fatherhood, the next thing you need to do is have a child of your own."

Inuyasha turned again to glare at Miroku over the café table and didn't even bother to respond.

Miroku's originally playful smile slipped a bit at the look Inuyasha was giving him, and he laughed uneasily. "You do understand that I am joking, right?"

"Yeah, right."

"But I am!" Offense practically radiated off the dark-haired man. "I would never betray my dear Sango when we are practically engaged and deeply in love. How could you think so little of me?"

Inuyasha nearly choked on his soda at the 'engaged and in love' part. "You've gotta be kidding! When she saw you yesterday, she nearly ran over me to get away! You call that 'in love'? I dunno about you, but I'd probably call that 'in hate' instead."

"She was just being shy."

"Shy my ass."

"Forget it, Inuyasha. You obviously know nothing about love or the ways of women." Miroku countered breezily. 

'I do, too!' Inuyasha mentally argued with the other man. Out loud, though, he didn't bother to say anything.

"If I know you, my friend, then you probably weren't paying very much attention to her face at the time." Miroku continued on, ignoring Inuyasha's introspective expression. "If you had looked closely, you might have noticed her blushing."

Snapping out of his thoughts about a certain someone, Inuyasha almost argued when he suddenly realized Miroku was telling the truth for once. Sango had been blushing, though he hadn't noticed it at the time. The thought that someone like Sango, whom Inuyasha considered intelligent and sane, might actually like the lecher was somehow very disturbing to the hanyou.

"And I used to think she actually had brains." Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

Miroku leaned back in his chair, looking smug. "You're just jealous."

"I am not!"

"Oh yes, I forgot. You've already gotten Kagome in bed with you, so I suppose I'm the one who should be jeal-"

Poor Miroku didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before a seething Inuyasha threw a very skilled right hook and sent him sprawling to the floor. He was just leaning back and dusting his hands off with a smug expression, when an extremely heavy handbag was sent sailing through the air, right into the back of Inuyasha's head.

"You brute! Would you leave that poor boy alone?"

"You tell him, Yukino-san!"

Inuyasha turned around just in time to see the two old women high-five each other, giggling like schoolgirls. The glare he sent their way could have melted steel.

"Please, ladies, do not worry yourselves so much about me." Miroku rubbed his head, now sitting up on the floor. "I will live, but thank you for your endearing concern for my welfare." The smile he gave them sent them into another fit of childish giggling.

"Isn't it disgusting?" Shippo commented, coming up from behind the hanyou. "That smile of his never fails to turn these normally intelligent women into brainless bimbos. I sometimes worry what Miroku might sink to if he gets really desperate for a woman."

Inuyasha grimaced. "Don't you DARE ever mention anything so disgusting to me again, you little brat!"

Shippo ran back behind the counter, laughing insanely.

"Why did I even agree to come here?" Inuyasha muttered, slumping back in his chair. He watched as the two women fawned over Miroku. "I should have gone with Kagome and the runt instead. Even a children's play would have been more fun than watching Miroku pick up old ladies."

'Actually, it would have been a lot more fun. Even if the play sucked, I could have at least been with Kagome all evening. I'm such an idiot sometimes.'

Inuyasha buried his head in his arms, desperately praying for Kagome to come and rescue him

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"Why did the wolf have such big teeth, Aunt Kagome?" Rin stared up at the older girl expectantly.

"All wolves have big teeth Rin, they need them to eat their food." 

"Were his teeth bigger than Uncle Inu's teeth?"

"I'm sure they probably were."

"Were his ears fuzzier than Uncle Inu's ears?"

"I don't know."

"Would Uncle Inu eat me?"

Kagome sweatdropped. "No, Rin, I'm positive your Uncle Inu would never eat you. All he likes to eat is ramen." She was seriously starting to regret taking Rin to see 'Little Red Riding Hood' at the college auditorium.

Rin seemed happy enough with Kagome's answers, probably because she didn't have any real concerns over her Uncle Inu and his eating habits. She hummed a song happily as they walked towards Miroku's café where they planned to meet Inuyasha after the play.

'This is the first time I've really been alone with Rin since she first popped up. I have been wanting to ask her some questions, so maybe now would be a good time.' Kagome glanced down at the little girl thoughtfully.

"Hey Rin, tell me a little bit about your Papa Sess."

Her small eyes brightened over what must be her favorite subject in the entire world. "He's got a fluffy tail!"

Kagome laughed. "I'm sure he does. Tell me more! Is he really nice?"

"The nicest Papa in the world." Rin told her seriously. "He calls Rin a lot so Rin gets to talk to him almost everyday." Her face took on an almost comically contemplative look. "But he doesn't ever want to talk to Uncle Inu. If Uncle Inu takes the phone from Rin and starts yelling at it, Papa Sess always hangs up."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the mental image. Leave it to him to act like a two-year old just because his half-brother wouldn't tell him where he's at. 'I've never heard someone pitch such a fit over something so stupid as hearing disco music playing in the background!'

While Kagome thought about Inuyasha and his obvious annoyance with Sesshoumaru, Rin went back to answering Kagome's earlier question. "I never knew my real Papa, so I was happy when I got another one."

Kagome stopped for a moment to crouch down next to Rin so that she could look her in the face more easily. "Can you tell me what happened to your real parents?"

The little girl frowned, trying to remember. "My daddy went to heaven a really long, long time ago before Rin was even born." 

Despite the seriousness of the subject, Kagome wanted to laugh at the way Rin stressed how long ago it was before she was born. Despite this, she managed to smile in encouragement at the little girl. "What about your mommy, Rin?"

"She was lonely without Papa, so she decided to go, too, and left me alone."

Rin's voice was so sad when she said that about her mother, and now Kagome really felt like crying. One tear did manage to escape and roll down her cheek, catching Rin's attention.

A small thumb wiped away the tear accompanied by a sudden bright smile. "Don't cry, Aunt Kagome! Rin isn't sad anymore because of Papa Sess. He loves Rin very much and Rin loves him. He took really good care of me when I was sad."

"I think your Papa Sess sounds very wonderful." Kagome whispered, trying to rid herself of any traces of tears. Just her luck, Inuyasha would probably smell them or something when they got back, and ask her what was wrong.

'I'm sure he'd believe I was crying when the wolf ate grandma.' Kagome smiled ruefully at the stray thought.

"Are you okay now?" Rin stared at her in anxious concern.

"I'm feeling much better now." Kagome hugged the little girl before pulling back and smiling. "I think you are a very brave little girl. I don't think I'd take it half so well if my own mother died."

"Uncle Inu would take care of you if you were sad, too. He loves you a lot, just like my Papa Sess loves me."

Kagome stared at Rin, shocked. "W-what makes you think your Uncle Inu loves me?"

Rin smiled. Sometimes children are much sharper than people give them credit for. "Uncle Inu always acts really happy when he's with you, just like Papa Sess is always nicer to people when Rin is around."

Her mouth opened, closed, and then opened again, but no sound escaped.

Rin giggled. "Silly Aunt Kagome."

Flustered, Kagome took Rin's hand and started walking again at a fast pace down the street, earning curious looks from people as she passed them.

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"Uncle Inu!" Rin shouted, dashing inside the café and jumping on the dog-eared man. He managed to catch her just in time before she could send them both to the floor with her exuberant greeting.

Kagome stayed standing in the doorway, doing a good impression of a tomato.

'Thank God, I'm saved!' Inuyasha mentally shouted. He couldn't remember ever being so happy to see Rin.

"The play was so good, Uncle Inu! There were wolves, and big men with beards, and a little girl with a red coat! Her grandma got eaten by the wolf who had big teeth like yours!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Thrilling."

Rin continued to chatter eagerly about the play, but Inuyasha missed the rest of it when he noticed that Kagome still hadn't bothered to come all the way inside. And she seemed determined to look anywhere but at him.

"Oi, Kagome! What's the matter, you afraid of my teeth?" He grinned at her, bearing the fangs. "Keh, don't tell me a silly little play has got you scared of me!"

If possible, Kagome's face turned redder when he grinned at her, and she started twisting the sleeve of her jacket nervously. "Don't b-be silly, I-I'm not scared of you! What in the world gave you that stupid idea?"

"You look scared to me." He stopped playing around and gave her a dry look.

"Well, I'm not."

Inuyasha was starting to feel concerned now. Something was obviously wrong and it must have to do with him. But what the heck could it be? He couldn't fix it if he didn't know what the problem was!

"You've been hanging around me for a couple of weeks now, Kagome. You know I don't bite." The statement was half-joking, half-serious. He waited for her to respond.

"I know." She nearly whispered, looking down at the ground. A moment later, she looked up with a falsely bright smile. "I think I need to get home and tackle my homework so I won't have to do it later this weekend. I'll see you both tomorrow."

With that, she turned around and dashed out of the café, too embarrassed over her scrambled thoughts to look Inuyasha in the face any longer. If only Rin hadn't said anything! Then she wouldn't be making such a huge fool of herself by running away without giving him a good reason for her actions.

'He probably thinks I've completely lost my mind!' Kagome couldn't help but agree with him, because she most likely had lost it.

Seconds after Kagome ran off, Inuyasha had hastily picked up Rin and ran after Kagome, annoyed and very confused. He didn't even bother to bid Miroku or Shippo goodbye, leaving the bemused pair to stare after his retreating figure.

'That stupid girl! What the hell is her problem? I only let them walk back from the college alone because it's so close to the café. But she shouldn't go running to the apartment by herself while the streets are nearly deserted!' He growled in frustration. 'She'd better tell me what's wrong soon. I don't care what it takes, I'll get her to talk to me!'

Rin watched her Uncle Inu's face as he slowed down enough to safely follow Kagome home. He looked very fierce and determined.

'She probably won't talk to me right now, so I'll give her tonight to get over whatever her damn problem is. But tomorrow, I think she and I are gonna go on a little 'outing,' or whatever those little group things are called, with the runt. She won't dare tell me no if I get Rin excited about it.'

Maybe she'd finally tell him what was wrong.

And then, maybe he could actually do something about it. 

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Chapter fifteen, complete! Now aren't you guys curious yet about where I am going with this little misunderstanding? Kagome's embarrassed, Inuyasha thinks she's mad, and now he's plotting against her, lol…well, I guess if you want to know, then review! I'll be looking forward to reading all of your comments. ^_^


	16. Worse Before Better

Talk about a heart attack…I nearly had one when I realized how many reviews I got after I posted the last chapter! Thank you everyone who reviewed! ^_^ Especially those of you who took the time out to review multiple chapters. They all made me smile even when I felt like pulling my hair out over some of the problems we had this past week. Cars may be useful, but they are still evil, evil devices on occasion…

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha yet, but I will soon when I and my army of old ladies using handbags for weapons take over the world! (And in return for their help, I'll let them have Miroku.) 

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Sixteen 

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'So, how would someone ask a girl to go on a date?' Inuyasha wondered to himself early on Saturday morning. He frowned at the wording of the question. 'Not that it's really a date or anything, just an outing for the runt! It wouldn't really be considered a date unless it was the two of us alone…right?'

It was the morning after Kagome had taken Rin to the theater, and Inuyasha was standing in front of the steamed-up bathroom mirror, leaning against the sink and staring at his wet reflection. As hard as he was staring at himself, he really wasn't seeing anything because he was so preoccupied with trying to decide his plan of attack. He was also trying to scrounge up the courage he would need to ask Kagome to join them for the day. 

Sadly for him, he was failing miserably.

'Gah! The day hasn't even gotten started yet and I'm already regretting it!' He resisted the urge to bang his head against the porcelain edge of the sink and instead turned down to look into the drain as if it held all the answers to his problems. 'Why did I have to be so stupid? Why couldn't I have just asked her what was wrong last night?'

The room was quiet for a moment before he finally answered his own questions out loud.

"Because I'm a damn coward, that's why."

Inuyasha scowled at his reflection as if it were the cause of him actually admitting a weakness. 

"Why am I so scared of one stupid girl, anyway?" He questioned himself, looking frustrated and annoyed. "It isn't like she's going to attack me the minute I have my back turned!"

'Maybe it would be better if she did.' A snide little voice in the back of his mind replied. 'Her hurting you physically would be a lot easier to handle than her hurting you emotionally.'

"Keh, she's turning me into some sap! Worrying about stuff like that…"

'Obviously, she has also driven you crazy.' The voice responded once again. 'Anyone normal wouldn't talk to the voices in their head like this.'

Inuyasha cringed, realizing how stupid he must look. 

Deciding from that point on to just keep his mouth shut, Inuyasha resumed staring at his blurry image in the mirror like he had been doing before he'd gotten into an argument with himself. This time, though, the expression on his face was much more critical than before.

'Was she really frightened of the way I looked last night? The ears, the claws, the fangs…I guess they probably are kind of scary to a human, but my mother wasn't ever bothered by them. I'd just supposed that Kagome wasn't, either…why do I keep comparing the two of them, anyway?'

A timid knock suddenly sounded on the bathroom door, interrupting his train of thought.

"Uncle Inu, are you still in there? Did you drown?" There was a small amount of worry in Rin's voice, and Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk at her question, his introspective mood gone just as suddenly as it had appeared and replaced with his usual one. Would she believe him if he answered yes?

Instead of playing with her mind like he wanted to do, he decided to be nice for once - well, as nice as Inuyasha could ever get. 

"Of COURSE I didn't drown! What do you think I am, some pathetic human?"

Rin's sigh of relief was loud enough for him to hear over the sounds of morning cartoons playing in the background. "That's good, cause Rin's gotta go to the bathroom really, really bad, Uncle Inu!"

And here he thought that she had actually been worried about him. Figures…

Grumbling to himself about the unfairness of having to share HIS bathroom, Inuyasha opened the door and walked out, wearing nothing but a fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist. He barely made it out before Rin shot past him and slammed the door, missing hitting him by barely an inch. Inuyasha didn't notice the close call, though.

Instead, he stared in shock at the couch while the occupant of it stared back, blushing madly.

"K-Kagome?" He stuttered, self-consciously tightening his fist around the edge of the towel as if he thought it might fall at any second. "What are you doing here?" He winced, realizing how blunt he'd sounded.

The girl sitting on the couch snapped out of her shocked stare at the question and laughed nervously. "I-I knew it was probably a bad idea to drop by so early, but I wanted to apologize for last night…" She trailed off, unable to stop herself from becoming distracted by the sight before her.

Embarrassed as he was, Inuyasha enjoyed her reaction immensely.

"Should I get dressed first?" Inuyasha finally offered, smirking. The smirk just got worse when Kagome was only able to nod before swallowing thickly and turning to stare down at the floor instead of him.

For Inuyasha, the day wasn't looking nearly so bad as it had a few moments before.

When he finally took pity on his guest and went into his bedroom to put on some clothes, Kagome groaned and buried her head in her arms. 'Oh, why in the world couldn't I have just used the phone instead? I am such an idiot sometimes!'

There was silence in the small apartment while Inuyasha dressed and Kagome continued to regret her stupidity, but that was soon broken by the muffled sound of the toilet flushing and small feet padding across the tiled floor. The still flustered girl looked up just in time to see the door burst open.

"Aunt Kagome!" Rin shouted, dashing out of the little bathroom and barreling into Kagome so hard that she almost fell off the couch. "Rin is so excited! Guess where Uncle Inu promised to take Rin today!"

The older girl pushed Rin off of her just enough to be able to breathe before looking at the little girl curiously. She looked as if she was going to burst with excitement at any moment, and Kagome had to try hard not to laugh.

"Well, are you going to guess?" Rin prodded her after not receiving an answer within an acceptable amount of time.

Smiling with amusement, Kagome put on an expression of mock deep thought as if she were giving the question serious consideration.

"Do you know yet?" Rin asked yet again.

Kagome sighed, doing her best to look stumped. "I have no idea."

"We are gonna go to the zoo!" Rin shouted happily.

Kagome blinked, not sure that she was hearing things correctly. "The zoo? Your Uncle Inu is taking you to the ZOO?" It was all she could do not to ask Rin what kind of horrible thing he'd done that he had to make up for.

Rin nodded. "Uncle Inu said he would rather go somewhere else because the zoo is smelly, but then he said that we couldn't go anywhere else because the only place people are allowed to take a monkey is to the zoo. Rin doesn't understand what he meant, but Rin doesn't care because Rin gets to go to the zoo!" She barely stopped to take a breath during her rambling because she was so excited. "And best of all, he even said that he was gonna invite you, too, so you get to come with us if you want! Do you? Huh?"

The older girl nearly laughed as Rin's expression turned from happy to anxious in a split second. She obviously wanted Kagome to go with them very badly.

"I'm not sure, Rin. I think I have to talk to your Uncle Inu first."

"Talk to me about what?" The bedroom door suddenly opened and a fully dressed Inuyasha stepped out. Seeing him caused Kagome's face to redden all over again, much to Inuyasha's amusement.

Kagome glanced at Rin. "Well…"

Inuyasha got the hint. "Hey, runt, go brush your teeth or something." He motioned towards the bathroom with one clawed hand.

"But Uncle Inu, Rin already-"

"I SAID brush your teeth!" After this was said, Rin hastily ran to comply, frightened that if she got him angry it might ruin her chances of getting to go to the zoo for the first time in her life. Such a reward made brushing her teeth twice in the same morning more than worth the suffering.

Once Rin was gone, Kagome smiled in amusement. "You know, you almost sounded like a father for a moment there!"

The slightly grumpy hanyou only grunted in response before leaning against the wall closest to the bathroom door, just so he could listen to Rin splashing in the sink. That way he would know if she were safely distracted.

"Inuyasha," Kagome began hesitantly. "I really am sorry about the way I acted last night. I know it was rude-"

"Why WERE you acting that way?" He interrupted her, wanting to get to what he felt was the important part. Now that she was in front of him, he didn't feel half as worried as he had before and was back to his usual confidence. The fact that she'd shown up on her own to apologize didn't hurt either.

To Inuyasha, it was proof that her being scared of him wasn't the problem.

Kagome glared at him for his rudeness. "If you didn't notice, I was in the middle of apologizing to you! Don't make it any harder for me than it already is, okay?" 

"So you're sorry, apology accepted." His gruff voice made no pretense about that not being important in his mind. "Now what I wanna know is why you were acting like you didn't want to have anything to do with me last night!"

His eyes met hers, and she flinched when she noticed the hurt he was obviously feeling over her actions the night before. He was doing a very poor job hiding it, though he was trying hard.

'How am I going to manage to explain this one?' Kagome wondered nervously. 'There's no way that I'm telling him the truth! What would he think if he knew I'd gotten so flustered over something so silly? Well, not really silly…I'm sure he wouldn't have reacted much better if he were told by someone that I - I mean, a girl - loved him.'

Inuyasha watched her face with a suspicious expression. "Well?"

"It was nothing at all. Rin and I had just been talking a few moments before about something and it upset me, that's all." Kagome crossed her arms and refused to look at him, a sure sign that she wasn't telling the truth, or at least the whole truth.

Inuyasha regarded her critically. "Why do I get the feeling you aren't telling me everything?"

"I don't know." She still stubbornly kept her gaze locked on the TV.

"Liar."

Kagome's eyes widened, and she whipped around to glare at him furiously. "How dare you call me a liar? And even if I am lying, it's not really any of your business anyway!"

"Ha! So you WERE lying!" Inuyasha pointed a finger at her triumphantly, while Kagome looked like she really wanted to slap herself. "And the hell it isn't my business since it was me you seemed so upset with! What did Rin tell you anyway?" He searched her averted face carefully for any clues to the missing information.

Kagome, predictably, wouldn't look at him again.

Inuyasha's face paled as he considered all the possibilities and latched onto one that would certainly cause Kagome to be upset with him. "Oi, she didn't tell you about that time I shaved my mother's cat bald, did she?" He growled. "For such a small kid, she sure has a big mouth!"

"You shaved a cat BALD?" Kagome cried in horror, once again staring at him. Not exactly the smartest thing to tell a cat lover.

Inuyasha cringed. 'Okay, maybe that wasn't what she and the runt were talking about. Better get the subject back on track quick before she finds out any more horrible things about me that I don't want her to know.'

"That's not important." He stated roughly, a slight blush staining his cheeks. "So, what were you and the brat talking about last night?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, right!"

"Like I said, we didn't talk about anything you need to know!"

"I told you to quit lying!"

"And I told you that it isn't any of your business!"

The two bickered back and forth for several moments, neither Inuyasha nor Kagome gaining or losing any ground. Fights like that get old fast, though, and Kagome was the first to get sick of the repetitive arguments.

"Gah, that's it!" She finally shouted at him. "If you really want to know, she was commenting on our 'relationship'! There, happy?"

Inuyasha blinked. "What do you mean, 'relationship'?"

"The one that isn't there, obviously! So now you see why I was so embarrassed over the whole thing." Kagome glared at him, seething angrily. "And now because of you being so stubborn, I had to tell you and get even more embarrassed when I was only trying to be nice and apologize to you for being so rude!"

In the face of Kagome's anger, Inuyasha could feel his own hair-trigger temper starting to rise up again as well. "Well what was I supposed to think with you acting like that? And I don't like being lied to by anyone! Especially-" He suddenly cut off and turned away, not wanting to finish what he was about to say. 

In his mind though, he did continue it. 'Especially you! Are you really that disgusted by the thought of anyone thinking we might actually have a relationship?'

Kagome knew she was wrong for losing her temper like she had, but she was also too stubborn to take back what was said, just as Inuyasha was too stubborn to let on how much she'd really upset him.

The living room was oddly silent when Rin opened the bathroom door and peered hesitantly out. She couldn't have missed the angry voices on the other side of the door, and was obviously upset.

Upon seeing the pale little girl, Kagome's anger instantly deflated. "Rin?"

Inuyasha ignored the guilty twinge he felt at the sound of Rin's name being spoken out loud by Kagome. He'd nearly forgotten about her in the heat of the fight, and felt bad for yelling where she could hear him. He might act like a jerk most of the time, but he'd never really had any intentions of causing her to fear him.

"Rin, come here." Kagome motioned to the little girl, ignoring Inuyasha as he shifted uneasily by the bathroom door, still leaning on the wall next to it.

Rin complied. "Is everything okay?" She questioned anxiously.

Kagome nodded, managing a small smile along with a hug for Rin. "Everything's okay, Rin. I'm sorry if we scared you with all the yelling. Adults are just stupid sometimes."

"I don't care about that." Rin glanced from Kagome to Inuyasha and back. "But Rin doesn't like it that you and Uncle Inu are upset with each other. Are you not gonna want to come to the zoo with us today?"

Kagome finally looked Inuyasha in the face, knowing the best thing they could do at the moment would be to set aside their differences and try to make Rin feel better. Inuyasha met her gaze, and an unspoken understanding passed between the two.

"I'll still go, if your Uncle Inu doesn't mind."

Inuyasha shifted again. "You can come if you want."

The exchange was awkward, but the heat of their previous anger had long since been extinguished, leaving each of them feeling unsure about where they stood with the other.

Rin could still tell that there was something wrong, but the fact that they weren't yelling at each other anymore was a good sign in her mind. She smiled and took Kagome's hand, pulling her off the couch. "Let's go, then! Rin really wants to see all the cute animals!"

When the pair passed Inuyasha, Rin took his hand as well and lead them both towards the front door of the apartment. Kagome glanced anxiously at him, trying to gauge his reaction to Rin's small gesture.

When he didn't pull his hand away, Kagome smiled slightly.

Perhaps things would work out. The day was still young, after all…

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Whew, this chapter was a nightmare to edit! I just wasn't completely happy no matter what I did. But I think I finally got it about how I want it. Anyway, thank you guys again for all the wonderful reviews! I hope you'll all be so kind again and let me know what you think of this chapter! ^_^ 


	17. Apologies

I seem to be making a habit out of updating every Sunday. Well, at least I'm making it a point to not let more than a week pass between posts, so you guys don't have to worry about me not updating for really long periods of time. I'll probably end up posting about a week apart for several more weeks, because I have a feeling I will be very busy. My birthday is coming up (April 1st) and the end of the tax season is coming up, which will keep me busy since I work for a tax office. But after April 15th, I'll probably have quite a bit more time on my hands again.

But as I said, don't worry, I will continue to update once a week since my weekends tend to by very quiet. ^_^

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Disclaimer: Inuyasha does so belong to me! I got him in the mail yesterday! *Dead silence* Okay, okay, stop looking at me like that! So it is only a keychain…I'm still entitled to my delusions, aren't I?

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Seventeen 

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"Wow, Rin! Look at those tigers!" Kagome squealed happily, pointing a finger at the bored looking cats. "Did you see his teeth when he yawned?"

Rin turned to gaze at the tigers for a moment before nodding obediently in agreement to Kagome's observations. Once that was done, she turned back to watch what was, to her at least, one of the much more 'interesting' sights in the zoo. She stared at it with open curiosity and even a bit of confusion.

'Uncle Inu still looks kind of upset.' Rin pondered, thinking as seriously as her childish mind would allow her to. She watched as Inuyasha slumped against one of the rail guards in front of the tiger exhibit, looking extremely grumpy. 'Is he still upset with Aunt Kagome? Maybe he's sad because they were fighting.'

Rin really hated seeing her beloved Uncle Inu so depressed, but she just didn't know what she could do about it. Seeing all the cute animals in the zoo didn't seem to cheer him up like it had her Aunt Kagome.

Not able to stand it anymore, Rin moved from her spot next to Kagome and slipped up beside her white-haired uncle, who was about three feet away from the spot where Kagome was standing, as if he didn't want to get too close. Predictably, he didn't bother to acknowledge her at all.

"Uncle Inu?"

After several moments of silence Inuyasha finally grunted, a reluctant indication that he'd heard her.

Rin ignored his unfriendly attitude and smiled brightly at him. "Aren't you gonna look at the animals with us?" She waited expectantly for an answer.

When he didn't respond to her question, she glanced back at the tigers behind him as if imploring them to help. "You should look 'cause some of them have really, really cute ears just like yours! They are so cute that Rin would love to pet them!"

In response to this, Inuyasha looked down long enough to glare at her. It was more than obvious to Kagome, who was listening closely to Rin's attempts to cheer up Inuyasha, that he didn't like his ears being compared to a cat's ears. Tiger or not, it was still a lowly cat.

Kagome had to smother a laugh when one of his ears flicked in apparent disdain.

Rin didn't seem to pick up on any of this, though, and mistook his glare for something else entirely. "Don't worry Uncle Inu, Rin will always think your ears are much cuter." She assured him earnestly with one hand patting his leg in a comforting gesture. "The cutest ears in the whole wide world!"

If that little statement wasn't embarrassing enough for poor Inuyasha, Kagome's laughter echoing in his ears had to be the icing on the cake. His horrible temper, which had been simmering just under the surface ever since their fight that morning, finally gave way and he couldn't stop himself from snapping the first thing that came to mind.

"What are you laughing at, bitch?"

Kagome's laughter died as if someone had hit a switch, and she stared at him in shock along with Rin. Inuyasha stared back defiantly.

The older girl finally managed to find her voice. "How DARE you call me something like that! And in front of Rin!" Her face had turned red, more from anger than embarrassment. "You can be such a jerk sometimes, Inuyasha!"

"Keh." He turned his eyes to the ground and kept his arms folded across his chest.

"Don't you 'Keh' me!" Kagome continued to rant, oblivious to Rin's worried glances as her eyes darted back and forth between the two adults. "I don't even know WHY I try to be nice to you sometimes! The only reason I even came with you today was because of Rin!"

Inuyasha snorted. "Gee, who would have guessed? I thought you came because you loved me so much!" His voice was heavy with sarcasm.

Kagome couldn't do anything more than splutter angrily for several moments, unable to come up with a suitable comeback. Rin said nothing and just continued to silently watch with a worried expression on her face.

"I don't even know why I bothered to come." Inuyasha grumbled under his breath. "Maybe I should just leave."

"Well…well maybe you should!" Kagome finally managed to shout. "We'd have a whole lot more fun without you sulking around behind our backs, acting like we forced you here at gunpoint or something!"

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "You really want me to leave, huh? Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Kagome opened her mouth to deliver the repetitive retort once again, when Rin suddenly tugged lightly on the edge of her skirt. Looking down, Kagome felt a wave shame roll over her when she noticed the tears in Rin's eyes.

"Rin's sorry, Aunt Kagome! Rin didn't mean to start a fight!" She used her free hand that wasn't clinging to Kagome's skirt to wipe her eyes. "Just please don't make Uncle Inu leave, 'cause it wasn't his fault!"

Inuyasha was staring at the little girl beside Kagome with nothing short of pure shock. Why in the world was she making such a big deal about him leaving anyway? It wasn't like he was having much fun, and his bad mood just seemed to be making everyone else miserable, too. Kagome was right. They would have more fun without him hanging around like a storm cloud over their heads.

Meanwhile, Kagome had brought herself down to eye level with Rin, looking for all the world like she was ready to cry herself. "Oh Rin, the fight isn't your fault! Your Aunt Kagome and Uncle Inu are just big idiots who don't know when to shut up!"

Inuyasha made a sound of protest at the insult, but Kagome just sent him a glare telling him clearly to shut up or die. For once, he decided to keep his big mouth shut.

"But it IS Rin's fault!" The little girl argued insistently. "You weren't fighting anymore 'til Rin made you fight again! Rin should get in trouble, not Uncle Inu!"

People were passing by the little group and most were shooting sympathetic glances at the upset little girl. The ones that weren't doing that were shooting evil glares at Inuyasha, concluding that whatever was wrong with her must be his fault.

Kagome looked around uneasily and noticed the antagonizing looks people were giving the hanyou and the looks he was giving them in return. Figuring they'd better move before a fight could break out, she stood up and motioned for him to follow her and Rin. "I swear, Rin, none of it is your fault, just mine and your Uncle Inu's. And I think the two of us need to talk about it, so why don't we all go somewhere a little less crowded, okay?"

Muttering something unintelligible under his breath, Inuyasha followed Kagome as she started off in search of a more private place to have their little 'talk'.

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"This place looks pretty deserted." Kagome decided. They were now in a small area that contained some benches and a fishpond that was sheltered by a few trees. Even though they could still easily be seen, it was far enough away from the high traffic sidewalks that no one could overhear them talk.

Seating Rin on one of the benches, Kagome then looked at Inuyasha and pointed to the spot next to the little girl. "Sit."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, but a fierce glare from Kagome made him think better of it. He reluctantly sat down, curious despite himself about what Kagome was gonna do. She seemed awfully determined all of a sudden.

"There, now isn't this much better?" Kagome smiled at the pair, once again acting like her normal, cheerful self. "Now we can get down to business! Things have been going badly all day and I'm determined to fix the problem, no matter what!"

Inuyasha shifted nervously when Kagome began to pace back and forth in front of him, suddenly feeling like he used to when he would get in trouble with one of his teachers. Not surprising, since it probably happened a LOT. 

Inuyasha was jolted out of his school day flashbacks when Kagome came to a sudden halt in front of him. She looked ready to say something to him, and he prepared to defend himself from whatever accusations that she might decide to throw at him.

"Inuyasha, I…" She trailed off and cleared her throat nervously. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about this morning! I shouldn't have yelled at you because it wasn't your fault. I was just embarrassed about having to admit it to you!" She finished her small speech in a rush, looking relieved to have it done with. In a lot of ways her personality was just as pigheaded as Inuyasha's, so making an apology when she knew very well that she wasn't the only one at fault was very difficult for her. Now she could only hope for the same from him.

Inuyasha couldn't do much more than stare at her, though, dumbfounded.

Rin, on the other hand, looked delighted that someone finally seemed to be making a serious effort towards making up. Looking hopeful, she immediately turned to her Uncle Inu and waited for him to do the same thing. When he didn't speak for several moments, she frowned at him and moved to whisper in his ear.

"Uncle Inu, tell Aunt Kagome you're sorry!" She hissed rather loudly, causing his ear to fold down in annoyance. At first she seemed satisfied with that and moved to sit back down, but suddenly changed her mind and moved back to cup her hand to his ear again. "And when you tell her, don't forget to kiss and make up! Mommy always made Rin do that when Rin was mad at someone!"

Poor Inuyasha almost fell off the bench, especially when he realized Kagome could hear everything that was said and was blushing furiously. Not that she was the only one looking a little red in the face!

Digging his claws into the wooden back of the bench (he had a death grip on it after almost falling off), Inuyasha desperately tried to think of what he could say. He knew that if he didn't say something, Rin would probably take the matter into her own hands and who knew what might happen then. She'd probably tell Kagome all about how much he lo-, er, liked her.

"Uh, I-I'm sorry too, I think…I mean, I am sorry!" He sunk back against the bench a little while Kagome glared at him. "I shouldn't have yelled either, okay?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "I still don't get why you were so upset, anyway."

Inuyasha flinched slightly. 'Damn, I can't tell her the truth, especially with the runt around! If I tell her I thought she was disgusted with the idea of having a relationship with me, that would only lead to questions that I really don't wanna answer.'

Feeling slightly guilty, Inuyasha pushed the feeling away and chose not to admit the truth. Instead, he stood up to glare at her closer to eye level. "Do I have to have a reason?"

For several moments the pair stared each other down, until Kagome broke out into sudden laughter. "No, I suppose you don't need a reason, do you? You act like a jerk all the time anyway!"

"Oi, that was rude!"

"Rude, but true!"

Rin watched blissfully as the two adults began to get along better than they had all day, even if they WERE technically still fighting. But even though things were getting better, Rin still wasn't satisfied with the outcome.

"Aunt Kagome? Uncle Inu?" Both turned to stare at Rin questioningly. "You haven't kissed yet, remember?"

"K-Kiss?!?!" Kagome and Inuyasha echoed together, looking at each other in horror.

"Of course!" Rin gazed at them patiently as if they were the small children that didn't understand simple concepts. "My mommy always said 'When you fight with someone you love, you should always kiss and make up so they know that you still love them'."

"Love?" Kagome squeaked in a high-pitched voice.

Inuyasha stayed silent and looked down, suddenly finding the sidewalk a fascinating sight that he had to examine very carefully.

Giggling in an almost disturbing manner, Rin jumped up and attempted to herd the flustered Kagome towards a distracted Inuyasha. He still didn't look up.

'What the hell do I do?' His frantic mind questioned. 'I'd give anything to kiss Kagome, but she doesn't look too eager to kiss me. Should I do it anyway? Or should I offer to shake hands or something? Gah!'

Then, almost before he knew what was happening, Rin had actually succeeded in pushing a protesting Kagome until the flustered pair was practically nose to nose. When Inuyasha looked up from the ground, he found himself staring right into her eyes. Now the temptation to act on his desires was stronger than ever, and Inuyasha suddenly made a well-thought-out decision.

'Oh, what the hell!'

With that, Inuyasha gave the best apology he'd ever made in his life.

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*Looks around carefully to make sure no one is planning on throwing anything at her for stopping there* A terrible place to leave it off, but I couldn't resist! I loved that ending line as soon as I thought of it and had to use it. But don't worry, the details will be covered in the next chapter, courtesy of Kagome. So until then, thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and thank you to anyone who will be kind enough to review this one (if you do, think of it as giving me a great birthday gift)! ^_^ 


	18. Overactive Imaginations

You guys will probably be amused to know that I met one of Miroku's old ladies! LOL! My cousin and I were at The Waffle House late the other night and the woman serving us was a much older lady. My cousin made a comment about all the compartments in her purse, and the woman responded with 'I have the same problem with my purse. It is so big and has so much stuff in it that if I hit someone with it, then it would probably kill 'em.'

It was all I could do not to start laughing hysterically. She probably would have thought I was insane. ^_^

Oh yes, a lot of people wished me happy birthday in their reviews, so thank you! I did have a good birthday. And it really isn't so bad having a birthday on April Fool's Day. No one plays jokes on me that day; they just make up for it the rest of the year!

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Disclaimer: I guess I don't own the old ladies in my story after all, but I'm sure that if I tried to hire them for my army, they would quit working at the Waffle House. I mean, when it comes to job perks, what is a little free food compared to Miroku? I rest my case…

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Eighteen 

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"Oh my God, I can't believe that happened!"

Kagome cringed at the sound of her friend's voice loudly echoing around the small apartment and rushed to quiet her. Sometimes the acoustics in that place could rival an arena. "Hush, Sango! You know just as well as I do how good Inuyasha's hearing is! Do you really want him to hear us talking about him?"

"Sorry!" The other girl whispered, not looking sorry at all.

It was late the night after Kagome and Inuyasha's little trip to the zoo, and the former was currently sitting on her bed with Sango perched across from her, telling the story of her day. And what a story it was! Sango was hanging on her friend's every word, unable to believe what she was hearing.

After all, this WAS Inuyasha and Kagome, the two most hopeless people she knew when it came to romantic relationships.

Well, besides Miroku.

"Come on, so what happened next?" Sango questioned.

Unfortunately for the eager Sango, Kagome suddenly seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Talking about the day with Sango caused her mind to replay all the events in detail, and she couldn't help but get lost in the feelings that her thoughts helped her to recall.

'I don't think I'll ever forget this day as long as I live. One moment I could swear Inuyasha wanted to do nothing more than strangle me for yelling at him, and the next he was giving me the kiss of my life! Where on earth did he learn to kiss like THAT?!?!'

Sango started laughing as she watched her friend absently begin to fan herself, even though the room wasn't hot at all. The other girl's distracted mind didn't register the sound, though, as she mentally replayed the kiss for what had to be the thousandth time.

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Without warning, Kagome found herself staring into Inuyasha's golden eyes, completely at a loss as to how she ended up with her face inches from his in the first place. Rin was standing behind her looking as pleased as the cat that ate the canary, all but forgotten by the pair standing before her.

Inuyasha continued to stare at her intently for several moments, as if unsure about something. 

'What is that look for?' Kagome vaguely wondered as his expression suddenly shifted. He was smirking, his usual confidence back in place and looking downright mischievous. 'Then again, with the way his mind works I probably don't want to know.' She thought with a twinge of apprehension.

Kagome didn't have any more time to think.

Her brain stopped working completely when Inuyasha suddenly dipped his head down and captured her lips with his own in an almost desperate kiss, as if it was something he'd wanted to do for a long time and was only now giving in to the temptation.

Without stopping to think about what she was doing, Kagome lifted both her arms to wrap them around his neck and succeeded in pulling him a little bit closer to her, which wasn't hard to do with Inuyasha so eager to comply. When she settled her arms a little lower on his shoulders, he responded by wrapping his own arms snugly about her waist and deepening the kiss further.

Kagome felt like she was in heaven.

There was something that just felt right about being so close to Inuyasha, and she didn't bother to question the feeling as she tangled her fingers in his long hair. It was something she'd wanted to do since that day that she had gotten the chance to play with his hair, and she was relishing the feel of it against her skin. When she gave it a gentle tug, Inuyasha's grip around her waist tightened and a deep rumbling sounded from his chest.

So lost were they in their own little world that they completely forgot that they had an audience.

Rin was watching the entire show with complete fascination, along with several bystanders that happened along just in time for the show. The looks they were being given ranged from jealous to appalled, and person even pulled out a camera and snapped a few pictures.

Through it all, the couple remained oblivious.

Running out of air was the reason that both finally had to come back down to earth, and Inuyasha was the first to pull back out of consideration for Kagome's need to breathe. He kept his gaze trained intently on her face as Kagome regained her bearings and turned shocked eyes to Inuyasha, only to see him wearing the smuggest look she'd ever seen on his face, which was saying a lot. 

Inuyasha was the first to speak.

"So, I guess that means apology accepted, right?"

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"Hello? Earth to Kagome!" Sango was waving a hand in front of Kagome's face, looking exasperated at having to snap the other girl out of her little daydream. "Wake up! You never did finish telling me what happened after you guys kissed! Did you slap him?"

Kagome's eyes snapped back into focus and she blushed furiously. "No, of course I didn't slap him! He actually managed to keep his hands where they should have been and not any farther north or south, unlike Miroku." She gave Sango a pointed look and tried not to think about the fact that if Inuyasha HAD tried to move them, she probably would have let him.

Sango winced at the reminder of Miroku and his 'wandering hands', along with the look Kagome gave her. "Mention that moron again and I swear I'll go jump off the top of the building!" She threatened, blushing.

"Sorry, sorry!" Kagome smiled in private amusement at Sango's reaction to Miroku's name. She knew that Sango was avoiding the lecherous man at the moment, although she wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve it this time. She probably didn't want to know, either.

Sango waved off the apology, eager to forget about her problems with men and focus on Kagome's story instead. "So what DID happen after he kissed you?"

Kagome reluctantly repeated what Inuyasha had said after the kiss before grimacing. "And can you believe that right after he said that, a bunch of people that had been standing on the sidewalks started clapping and whistling? I was so embarrassed!"

Sango laughed until she was breathless, enjoying the mental image that her mind conjured up. When she finally managed to calm down, she couldn't resist asking "So, how many of them did Inuyasha kill?"

The other girl paused to consider the question with a frown. "You know, believe it or not, he seemed amused by the whole thing!" Kagome shook her head in confusion. "I've never seen him so smug and happy in my entire life. He was even SMILING!"

"Oh my God, the world's coming to an end." Sango muttered dryly, still laughing.

Kagome nodded her head in serious agreement.

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Inuyasha just couldn't seem to sleep.

But despite that, the normally grumpy hanyou couldn't have been any happier, even if Sesshoumaru suddenly decided to jump off a really high cliff. And knowing Inuyasha, that would make him pretty happy.

With a half-smile, Inuyasha listened in amusement to the sound of drifting voices coming from the apartment below his, easily able to guess what the topic of conversation was. If he bothered to try, he was sure he could hear exactly what was being said, but the hanyou didn't attempt to listen that closely. Kagome's reaction to the kiss had been more than enough to tell him how she felt about the whole incident.

'She didn't get mad, she didn't slap me, and she didn't run off. For Kagome, that's a pretty good reaction! After all, if I'd been Miroku and done something like that, I'd probably be dead right now.'

Thinking of Miroku trying anything like that with Kagome made Inuyasha's good mood sour quickly, so he moved his thoughts back to more pleasant grounds. Specifically, the potential dreams about Kagome he might have, if he could ever manage to actually fall asleep.

Inuyasha was so lost in his thoughts and reflections that he was completely oblivious to the fact that he had company in the living room with him. So when Rin approached and placed a cold little hand on his bare arm, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Are you awake, Uncle Inu?" Rin whispered, staring at him hopefully through the darkness.

Inuyasha was now sitting up with both hands digging into the sofa, trying not to let the fact that she'd actually scared him show. "Dammit, does it LOOK like I'm asleep?!?" He hissed in return, once again just as grumpy as always.

She ignored this. "Rin is scared, Uncle Inu!"

Inuyasha blinked in surprise, not expecting Rin to say such a thing. Rin never seemed to be scared of anything, even him when he was in his worst moods! "Scared?" He echoed blankly.

The little girl was nervously clutching Sessy-poo more tightly in her arms. "Uh-huh. Rin heard a noise."

"A noise?" He parroted her again. "What kinda noise?"

In a small voice, Rin answered him. "Rin thought she heard something knocking on your closet door, Uncle Inu."

'Something knocking on the closet door?' Even in his mind, Inuyasha was still blankly repeating after Rin. 'Probably just some junk I stuffed in there fell. But why the hell would she be scared of that?' Inuyasha remained very baffled for a moment, until he suddenly remembered something he'd heard once about children. "Oi, runt, you aren't one of those kids that's scared of monsters under the bed or in the closet are you?"

That had to have been the WORST thing he could have possibly said.

"R-Rin didn't know monsters like to live in c-closets and under the b-bed." Rin whimpered pitifully while clutching Sessy-poo tightly in her arms. "D-do they eat kids?"

Inuyasha could have slapped himself right then for opening his big mouth. 'Just make the kid more scared, you idiot!' His mind shouted at him. 'The last thing I need is her keeping me awake all night!' He'd conveniently forgotten that he hadn't been able to sleep anyway.

While he fought to control his irritation, Rin was staring at him with big, frightened eyes as if she was expecting him to make everything okay again with a few magic words. It's amazing, the misplaced confidence children have at times.

When she didn't stop staring at him or make any move to go back to bed, Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Oi, do you really think monsters would be living in MY room?" The hanyou scoffed in what he hoped was a confident manner.

Rin's look turned from frightened to curious. "Why not?"

"Because!" He crossed his arms arrogantly. "I'm a lot scarier than any of those stupid monsters are."

A small giggle escaped. "No you're not! Uncle Inu isn't scary at all!"

A pained look crossed Inuyasha's face. For Inuyasha, being told he's not scary by a small child was definitely a major blow to his pride. "Well, it's not like monsters exist anyway!" He muttered in a sulky tone of voice.

"They don't?" Rin stared at him for a moment, as if to judge the truth of his words. "Is Uncle Inu telling Rin the truth?" She sounded very doubtful.

Now Inuyasha looked really offended. "You think I'm lying?"

Rin frowned. "Well, Aunt Kagome did tell me not to trust everything you say. She said you don't tell the truth all the time."

"She said WHAT?!?!" He nearly shouted. "When have I ever lied about anything?" He couldn't help but feel hurt that Kagome would ever say such a thing about him, especially to Rin!

"Well, she said you weren't being honest that time you told Rin that dragonflies are really baby dragons. And she said that cats aren't really evil, and that Papa Sess probably isn't really a girl. Rin didn't believe that one, anyway. She also said that you-"

Okay, so maybe when Kagome had told Rin that, she'd had a valid point after all.

"Alright, I get the point!" He growled, slumping down on the couch. "You don't have to rub it in."

Rin smiled happily, glad that Uncle Inu finally gave in. "So does this mean Rin can sleep in here with you instead of with the monsters?"

"I SAID there aren't any-" Inuyasha noticed her disbelieving gaze. "Oh, whatever! Do what you want. Maybe I should go sleep with the stupid monsters; that way I might actually get some peace and quiet."

"But Rin doesn't want to sleep alone!" She pleaded pathetically. "Please stay with Rin?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say no, when tears started forming in the little girl's eyes.

And, dammit all, he could never resist a crying girl.

Inuyasha sighed in defeat.

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"Ouch!" 

There was a few seconds of silence, followed by a nearly silent stream of swearing as Inuyasha sat up off the floor and dug around under the blanket he'd been laying on. A moment later his hand came up, holding a small pink hair clip, obviously one of Rin's vast collection. Grumbling more profanities, he tossed it aside and laid back down.

Things were quiet for a while after that, but just as Inuyasha managed to start drifting off to sleep, a small hand flopped down off the couch and fell in his face, nearly poking him in the eye. Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched.

'This is the first time I've ever wished for a bigger apartment.' He scooted as close to his small, battered coffee table as he could possibly get and settled back down. That gave him about five inches between himself and the couch. 'Damn, this is all Kagome's fault! Telling Rin not to trust me! She's gonna be in for a surprise tomorrow when I tell her she's got to come fix this mess, or else Rin'll be sleeping with her in her apartment from now on!'

He also briefly played with the idea of telling Kagome she'd have to sleep in the floor tomorrow night while he got to sleep in her bed downstairs, but figured Sango wouldn't appreciate that very much. Besides, would he really want to run off with Kagome actually sleeping in his apartment? Not likely.

Making plans to give Kagome a very early wake-up call, Inuyasha finally managed to drift off to sleep.

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*Sighs* Another very difficult chapter to edit. But, I did the best I could so that I could get this chapter out to you guys, so I hope you enjoyed it! Especially the kiss scene…I am so terrible with things like that, so I had to tear it apart several times until I was happy with it. Anyway, please be sure to drop me a review and let me know what you think! ^_^


	19. Hesitation

I'm so sorry for making you guys wait a day longer than usual. I had quite a weekend, as you might have seen if you bothered to check my author's profile. (If you ever wonder when I will update again, check that…every few days I tend to update it and complain about my life, er, inform you of the possibility of an update, lol!) So anyway, in short, it took me a little longer than it should have to get this chapter edited. But, hopefully it will be worth the wait! ^_^

Oh, and I came up with a new idea for a title today! Maybe I should change it. It's a very, er, interesting one! 

'Parenting is not for the Foul of Mouth'

*Dead silence* 

Okay, okay, maybe I should just move on to the story while I still have an audience…

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Disclaimer: If there are any parts in this story that someone feels was the work of a genius, then…it was an accident, I swear!!! But I'm flattered that they thought so, anyway, lol! Oh yes, and I don't own any of the Inuyasha characters, either…

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Nineteen 

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Inuyasha was quietly staring at the phone with a wary look on his face, as if expecting the innocent-looking piece of equipment to suddenly jump up and bite him. Anyone watching him might think he actually believed youkai could take the form of everyday household items.

Not that Inuyasha would be scared of any youkai, of course. Just one human girl, and nothing more.

Inuyasha huffed to himself at the idea that he could be scared of Kagome, but didn't bother to actually deny it out loud. Rin was the only one around to see him acting like an idiot, after all, and she was ignoring him completely in favor of her favorite morning television shows.

The hanyou had woken up that morning, all set to call Kagome and harass her about causing him so many problems with Rin the night before. In his mind the whole situation was her fault, so naturally, she had to fix it.

But, before he could make the call, he started thinking about the kiss the day before.

And then he got cold feet…

'She's going to think you're a horrible jerk if you don't call her.' One part of his brain warned him as he continued to stare at the phone. 'After all, don't girls expect that sort of thing after going on a date?' 

'Ha! She probably thinks you're a horrible jerk anyway!' Another part of his brain so kindly added.

"Would you just shut up!" Inuyasha snarled, tired of the internal arguments going on in his head. He cringed when Rin looked up at him with a shocked look. "I wasn't talking to you…" He defended himself weakly.

Shrugging, Rin went back to watching her morning cartoons, willing to forgive her wonderful Uncle Inu of almost anything, even if he was kind of weird.

When Rin looked away, Inuyasha's gaze moved back to the phone.

'Why the hell am I so nervous, anyway?' He wondered silently. 'It's not like she didn't kiss me back, and she certainly didn't look like she wanted to kill me. I shouldn't have anything to worry about now.'

But, no matter how much Inuyasha tried to tell himself that, he just couldn't seem to let go of the nagging feeling that perhaps, after she'd had some time to think about things, would Kagome regret kissing him? She had seemed like she was in shock the rest of the day, so maybe everything just needed time to sink in first.

"Maybe she hates my guts now." He muttered, quietly enough that Rin couldn't hear him.

That thought more than any was the most prevalent in his mind, and it was causing the hanyou to doubt the wisdom of actually calling Kagome and talking to her. Inuyasha could handle almost anything that might get sent his way (physical violence, pain-in-the-ass half-brothers, small children) but being rejected by Kagome wasn't anywhere to be found on that list.

'Well, no matter what, I've still gotta call her.' He reminded himself firmly. 'The runt is still refusing to sleep alone, and I'm not spending another night on the floor! Kagome caused this mess, so now she's gotta fix it.'

Even if it wasn't exactly the right reason for him to call her, it was at least a reason that would stop him from being a coward and not calling. 

Squaring his shoulders as if he were about to do battle, Inuyasha picked up the phone.

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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Kagome sighed in frustration and glanced at the clock on the wall to her left. Its small black hands read eleven o' clock on the dot, only about three whole minutes since the last time she'd looked up at it.

It was obviously a VERY slow morning.

"I thought he'd at least call or say something to me after what happened yesterday." She muttered to herself. "Just like a man! He's probably already forgotten all about the kiss by now." That last sentence was punctuated by a rather forceful thump as Kagome tossed one of her textbooks on the floor. So much for her getting any studying done today.

'You could always call him, you know.' Her traitorous mind whispered.

"No way!" She cried out loud. "Why would I want to do something like that? He's the one who kissed me, not the other way around!" Her voice had been getting higher and more strained, when Kagome suddenly realized it was possible that Inuyasha might be able to hear her ranting to herself. Her face flushing in embarrassment, she snapped her mouth shut.

"I am such an idiot." She grumbled, though this time in a much lower voice. "I can't believe I'm sitting here, waiting for him to call me instead of doing something more important. There are a thousand different things I could be doing right now that would be a better use of my time!"

Still, she just couldn't seem to bring herself to get up and leave her spot by the phone.

'Why do I want to hear something from him so badly, anyway?' She mused, tapping her pencil on the blank page of the notebook in front of her. 'I admit, I am a little confused about the whole thing. After we kissed, neither of us said a word about it. It was almost as if it never happened, save the fact that I blushed like a schoolgirl every time I looked at him. The stupid jerk seemed to think it was funny…'

Shaking her head, Kagome realized that her thoughts were heading off track.

'I guess I just want to know if Inuyasha kissing me was some sort of lark to him, or if he was really serious about the whole thing. He's so hard to read sometimes that I don't know what to think!' She groaned in frustration and buried her head in her arms.

Kagome sat like that for several more seconds, before jerking her head up and shaking it vigorously. "I'm being such an idiot again! Getting worked up about something like this just isn't like me! I should just call him myself and get the suspense over with before I end up failing all my classes. I can only imagine explaining to my mother why all her hard-earned tuition money is going to waste…"

The thought of her mother's displeasure seemed to spur Kagome into action, and she reached over to pick up the receiver of her cordless phone.

Indecision and a hint of nervousness were written all over her face.

"Just press the button." She coached herself out loud.

"Yes, please press the stupid button and call the idiot already!" Another voice echoed around the room. Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound and whirled around to find Sango standing in the apartment doorway.

"Sango-chan!" She gasped, holding a hand to her chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"And? It looked to me like you were well on your way to one, anyway." Sango observed with amusement. The look on her face then turned stern. "Have you been acting like this all morning? When I left for class, you were staring at the phone like it was about to explode!"

Kagome's face burned a bright red at Sango's accusation. 

"If you keep this up, you'll fail all your classes!" The other girl continued to rant. "I've never seen you act like this over a guy!" She opened her mouth to continue, but shut it when a speculative look appeared on her face. Kagome didn't like the look one bit, either.

"Well, I WAS just about to call him before you attempted to send me into cardiac arrest…" She muttered weakly, but her attempts at distracting Sango were completely ignored.

"Kagome, I know you probably aren't going to like me asking something like this, but-" She leaned closer until she was almost nose to nose with Kagome "Is it possible that you really ARE in love with that selfish, mean, rude, childish-"

Kagome cringed. "I get the point, okay!"

"Sorry." Sango muttered sheepishly as she backed off. "So, are you in love with him?"

The room was dead silent for a long period of time as Kagome reluctantly considered the question. Knowing how difficult answering a question like that could be, Sango waited patiently for an answer instead of badgering her.

Kagome finally seemed to come to a decision. "Well, I-"

Just at that moment, the phone decided it was time to ring.

"Stupid phone!" Sango practically growled, frustrated from being so close to getting an answer to her question. She snatched the phone from Kagome's hand before the other girl could answer it. "I can't believe it! Just hold that thought while I give whoever it is a piece of my mind." She told Kagome seriously. Before she pressed the button, though, Kagome grabbed her arm in a near panic.

"No, don't!" She cried. "What if it's Inuyasha calling?"

The phone continued to ring, unanswered.

"It's almost noon! If he hasn't called by now, he probably won't." Sango pointed out. She was still itching to give whoever was calling a piece of her mind.

"Just let me answer it, okay?" Before Sango could respond to her friend's pleading, Kagome had already stolen the phone and turned it on.

"H-Hello?"

"Dammit, took you long enough to pick up the stupid phone!" An annoyed voice lashed out on the other end. Sure enough, it was Inuyasha.

Kagome's face darkened. All her relief at finally hearing his voice was quickly vanishing into thin air. "Well excuse me! If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have made you wait so long. After all, you never keep ME waiting."

The pointed remark fell on deaf ears. "Listen, I'm calling you 'cause I want you to spend the night over here tonight." Inuyasha didn't waste any time in getting to the point, leaving a shocked Kagome stuttering on the other end.

"Y-You want me to WHAT?"

Curious about the conversation, Sango moved closer so that she could hear what was being said on the other end.

"You heard me." Inuyasha muttered. "I want you to spend the night tonight because-"

He didn't get the chance to explain himself any farther because the sound of Kagome and Sango both screaming "YOU PERVERT!" was more than loud enough to drown out anything else he might have tried to say.

"Listen, you jerk!" Kagome fumed. "I know we shared a really nice kiss yesterday, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to jump in bed with you the next day!"

The fact that Kagome had called the kiss 'really nice' went right over Inuyasha's head as he nearly choked. "What the HELL are you talking about?!?! You've gotta be crazy to think I'd actually ask you to sleep with me when I've got a kid around!"

Sango grabbed the phone before Kagome could stop her. "Oh, but you would if Rin wasn't staying with you?"

"NO! That's not what I meant!" By then the blushing hanyou was ready to tear out his long hair by its roots, or at least destroy something. Yes, destroying things with his claws was a GREAT stress reliever…

"Would you just give the damn phone back to Kagome? I was talking to her, not you!"

Before he could really finish yelling at Sango, though, Kagome had snatched the phone back and was giving her best friend a deadly glare. Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Sango reluctantly left the room.

As soon as she was alone, Kagome spoke. "So, if that wasn't what you meant, then what did you mean?" Kagome asked in a tired voice. She hated to admit it, but Inuyasha was probably telling the truth. He really wasn't the type to go inviting girls to sleep with him.

She listened patiently while Inuyasha explained (as best he could) the situation of Rin not wanting to sleep in the bedroom or by herself because there were 'monsters' under the bed and in the closet. He didn't forget to mention that it was all her fault, either.

The whole situation was just the distraction Kagome needed from her earlier fretting.

"Let me get this straight," Kagome swallowed the sudden desire to laugh for the first time that morning, and tried to stay serious. "You want me to prove to her that monsters don't exist because she doesn't believe you?"

Inuyasha huffed in relief that she understood the situation. "Right."

"And you want me to sleep on your bed with Rin so you can have your couch back?"

"Unless you'd rather sleep in the floor."

"No, no, the bed is fine." Kagome hastily agreed. "I guess I'll be there sometime before Rin's bedtime tonight, okay?"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at the phone. "You promise?"

Kagome couldn't help letting a small giggle escape. "I promise, I promise!"

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"Hmmm, so Inuyasha's phone line is busy, is it?" Sesshoumaru hung up the cell phone in his hand and set it down on the table next to him. "I suppose my call to Rin will have to wait a little while longer, then. It really doesn't matter."

Now that it was decided that his phone call was to be put off for a while, Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair with an almost inaudible sigh. Once he was settled in and looked unusually relaxed, he reached back over to the table and picked up his drink, only to find that all the ice had melted. He nearly sighed again.

"Jaken."

The sound of small feet padding across the tiled floor of the balcony could be heard as Sesshoumaru's little green minion rushed to obey his summons.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Bring me a fresh drink. All the ice has melted in this one." He gestured carelessly towards the nearly full glass sitting next to him, glittering in the bright sunlight.

Jaken bowed. "Right away, Sesshoumaru-sama!" With that, he hurried off once more to do his master's bidding.

"Oh, and Jaken…"

The sound of Sesshoumaru's monotone voice stopped the small demon in his tracks as he was opening the door to go back inside the house. Jaken turned around expectantly, awaiting more orders. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Don't forget the little umbrella this time."

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I like the way this chapter turned out! Especially that last small scene. I'm sure you guys are putting the pieces together about Sesshoumaru and his 'business' trip, lol! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! I can't wait to read the reviews for this chapter and what all of you have to say, so be nice and leave one, okay? They will really be nice to read when I am pulling out my hair at work this week…the end of tax season is looming near…


	20. Skeletons in the Closet

As always, thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I'm so glad that everyone really seems to be enjoying this story so far, and that you guys are patient with me when I get a bit lax with the updates. I'm sorry that I didn't post Sunday like I had originally planned to. I could have, but I got lazy and just wanted to enjoy my three-day weekend without doing anything that might actually be considered productive, lol! So I'm posting as late as I can possibly get away with, officially ending my three days of doing nothing. *sighs*

Darn, now that I'm going back to work, that means I'll be awake to see the sunrise WITHOUT having stayed up the entire night before…oh, the torture! ^_^

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Disclaimer: I own none of the Inuyasha characters in this story, but I do own Kirara! (I really do! My brother gave her to me as a late birthday present! Given, she IS stuffed…but that is just a minor detail)

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Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages

Chapter Twenty 

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"But Rin doesn't want to sleep in the bedroom! Rin wants to stay in here with Uncle Inu where it's safe." The stubborn little girl crossed her arms over her chest in an unconscious mirror of her Uncle Inuyasha.

It was later that night, and just as Kagome had promised she would, she'd shown up ready to spend the night with Rin and help her get over her fears of monsters in the closet. Not that her presence seemed to be helping anything, of course. Rin still adamantly refused to set foot inside the bedroom no matter what Inuyasha or Kagome tried, much to the pair's dismay.

At the moment, though, Kagome was much more amused than dismayed over Rin's statement of faith in her precious Uncle Inu, and had to resist the urge to laugh out loud. Instead, she leaned over to whisper to Inuyasha. "Safe? Personally, I think I'd rather take my chances with the monsters."

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes in response, clearly not amused by Kagome's comment or the situation in general. After all, would he ever be able to recall what a sound night's sleep in his own bed felt like?

At this rate, probably not.

'That little brat! She's been sleeping in there for weeks, and NOW she decides to give me a hard time about it? If she'd done this sooner, at least I wouldn't have had to sleep on the couch for so long!' Inuyasha thought sourly to himself. 'As it is, I think my back will have permanent indentions from all the damn lumps.'

His mood seemed to be getting worse by the minute thanks to Rin's sudden display of stubbornness. It was already well past her bedtime, but she'd parked herself on the couch, which was HIS bed, with a pillow and blanket and refuted any attempts to get her to move. 

'If she keeps it up, she's gonna find out I really am a lot more scary than any stupid monsters!' He gave her his fiercest glare, which was completely ignored.

"Come on, Rin!" Kagome pleaded for what had to be the hundredth time that night while Inuyasha continued to pointlessly glare. "Don't you trust us at all? Your Uncle Inu and I wouldn't try to make you sleep in there if it wasn't perfectly safe. You know that."

For one hopeful moment Rin's mulish expression wavered, only to reappear again, stronger than ever. If Kagome hadn't witnessed it for herself, she would have never believed Rin capable of being so stubborn.

Since pleading wasn't working, it was obviously time to try another tactic.

"Rin," Kagome kneeled down in front of the little girl with a pleasant smile on her face. "You know there isn't any such thing as monsters that live under the bed or in the closet. You've never seen any, have you?"

A small, wary shake of the head was Rin's response to Kagome's question.

"Well, neither have I and I'm a lot older than you are. So if they really existed, I probably would have seen one by now. Don't you think so?" She gazed hopefully at the little girl seated in front of her.

"Yeah, you're SOOO old." A sarcastic Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

"Shut up!" Kagome hissed at the hanyou beside her before standing back up. "You aren't helping things any!"

Inuyasha leaned towards the older girl in his usual temperamental stance, causing her to take a wary step back from him and nearly trip over the coffee table behind her. The look on his face told her quite clearly that he was nearly at his wits' end and that perhaps she shouldn't goad him any if she could possibly help it. The last thing she needed was for Rin to learn every curse word in existence.

"Well what else are we supposed to do, huh?" He hissed, just low enough that Rin couldn't make out what was being said. Kagome couldn't help but thank God for small miracles. "As if you're doing any better! Maybe we should just go throw her in the closet and shut the door for a few minutes. If she lives, then obviously there isn't anything to be scared of!"

"INUYASHA!" Kagome gasped, horrified. She quickly grabbed his arm and tugged him a little farther away from Rin. Maybe the small girl couldn't hear anything, but she wasn't about to take any chances. "We can't do that! It might scar her for life!"

He shrugged. "Why not? After this month is over, I'll probably be scarred for life, so it's only fair."

"You big baby!" She gave his shoulder a small shove, not that it caused him to move an inch. It was more of a way to vent her frustration than anything. "You aren't the one doing all the work, so you have no right to say that!" 

"Oi, do you know what sleeping on a lumpy, too-short couch does to a person?"

Kagome gave him a flat look. "I would say that it makes them rude and selfish, but you were that way LONG before you started sleeping on the couch."

"Oi!"

While the two adults bickered pointlessly with each other, Rin was observing the pair with sleepy interest. She wasn't worried, because the fight wasn't anything like their more serious ones. The two adults looked more like two children having a petty squabble than anything else. 

Though Rin obviously wanted to stay awake and watch the little show in front of her, she was fast losing the battle with sleep.

The arguing pair eventually remembered Rin, noticing just in time how close she was to being unconscious.

"Don't go to sleep yet!" Inuyasha growled before leaning down and shaking Rin's shoulders. "You're supposed to sleep in the bedroom, remember? I get the couch!"

"Rin doesn't want to move…" She slurred in a sleepy voice.

Before Inuyasha could roughly shake Rin again to wake her back up, Kagome stepped in and grabbed his arm warningly. He grudgingly moved back and let her take over again, quietly mumbling a few choice words that the older girl didn't hear…lucky for him.

Kagome leaned down and shook Rin herself (though much more gently than Inuyasha) until the small girl blinked sleepily at her. "Tell you what, Rin. If I go in there and check both the closet and bed and I don't find monsters or anything else to be scared of, then you have to go sleep in there with me, okay? So don't fall asleep yet!"

Without waiting for a response, Kagome slipped off into the bedroom with Inuyasha quickly following behind her and looking like he desperately wanted to protest. The last thing he wanted was for Kagome to go digging through his room and finding out what a horrible slob he really is!

Much to his horror, Kagome started with the closet.

"Oh my God!" She gasped, quickly sliding the door closed and turning to stare at him. "What WAS that stuff in there? Some sort of science experiment from your school days?" She made a disgusted face. "Or judging from the looks of it, from as far back as the feudal era? It sure LOOKS like it's been in there that long."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in response, but he couldn't seem to help being curious himself as to what his closet looked like inside and moved to open the door. It had been a long time since he'd bothered to check inside since all his clothes never made it far enough to actually get hung up after being washed. 

Looking a bit wary, he slid the door aside to take a peek. It only took a moment for him to quickly snap it shut as well. Believe it or not, even he looked downright ill. "Actually, I think those are some clothes I never washed…"

Kagome turned a bit green. "That was…clothing?"

"Maybe. It might have been food."

Making another face, Kagome turned away from the closet and made a mental note to come back later with some heavy-duty disinfectant and a storage container for biohazardous materials. She then moved her attention to the bed. "After seeing the shape of your closet, I don't think I want to even dare look under the bed!"

Inuyasha grimaced. "Then you probably shouldn't. I don't know what's under there, but I can promise that there probably isn't any room for monsters."

"Why is that thought not comforting?" Kagome sighed in defeat. "Well anyway, I told Rin I'd look so I guess I will. But if I lose my dinner, you'll be cleaning it up."

Inuyasha grinned, suddenly amused. "No way! If you puke, just throw up in the closet, it'll feel right at home."

"Uggghhh! You are so disgusting!"

Tuning out Inuyasha's laughter, Kagome got down on her hands and knees before peering under the bed cautiously. "Well, there aren't any bad smells…and nothing is moving." She let out a sudden sneeze. "But there sure is a lot of dust!" She stood up and dusted her hands off, looking relieved to have her unpleasant task over with. 

Inuyasha suddenly snapped his fingers. "Damn, that's right! I think I actually cleaned under there sometime last year when I couldn't find a sock."

"Oh, so NOW you tell me!" Kagome glared at him before giving up and sighing. "Well anyway, after looking around I can see why Rin is too scared to sleep in here! I would be if I were her! So showing her probably wouldn't be the best way to calm her fears."

"Well then what are we supposed to do?!?!" Inuyasha suddenly exploded, frustrated with the whole mess and back to his earlier bad mood. "I don't wanna sleep on the floor AGAIN-"

"Shhh!" Kagome turned around to glare at him from where she had been peeking around the doorframe and into the living room. When she was satisfied that he was going to stay quiet, she turned back. "At this point, I don't think you have a choice. She's already asleep."

Inuyasha frowned, not seeing why that meant he had to sleep on the floor anyway. "You're here, so you can sleep on the floor. This whole mess IS your fault anyway!"

That earned him a dirty glare, something he'd been getting quite often all evening. "Me? I hope for your sake that you're joking. I'm the guest AND a woman, you should be a gentleman and let me have the bed. Either that, or I'll just go home and leave you to deal with Rin when she wakes up in the morning."

"Keh! Go home then." Inuyasha shrugged carelessly and turned to hide his amusement as she moved to do just that. "But I wouldn't if I were you."

Kagome paused, halfway to the door. "What do you mean by that?"

Before Inuyasha could answer her, a loud yell that sounded suspiciously like 'pervert' could be heard coming from the apartment below along with a resounding crash. Kagome listened to the commotion with wide eyes.

"That's why." Inuyasha muttered dryly. "Miroku found out that Sango was going to be alone tonight, so he decided he was gonna keep her company. If I were you, I wouldn't go anywhere near that apartment tonight." Inuyasha suddenly grinned in a purely evil manner. "So is the floor looking any more attractive now?"

Kagome huffed in irritation but didn't respond. Instead, she tried to decide what she should do. 'As much as I'd hate to admit it, the stupid jerk is right. Going home wouldn't be a good idea because Sango is sure to be in a really scary mood right now.' Kagome shuddered at the thought. 'But if I stay, I do NOT want to sleep on the floor!' She knew she was being unreasonably stubborn about the whole thing, but to her it was all a matter of principle. Why should she, a lady and a guest, have to sleep on a hard floor while he got the bed?

'Not that sleeping in here sounds all that appealing either.' She admitted to herself. 'No telling what that thing in his closet is…'

Still lost in thought as she again contemplated the horrors of Inuyasha's bedroom closet, Kagome completely missed the fact that Inuyasha had become impatient and was currently stripping down to nothing but his boxers in preparation for going to bed. 

First his shirt went.

Then of course his pants followed, with Inuyasha glancing out of the corner of his eye to see what kind of reaction he would get out of Kagome.

Once he had finished and was wearing nothing but a pair of dark blue boxers, Kagome still hadn't given him any notice, which caused Inuyasha to sulk a bit.

'I practically give the stupid girl a show, and what do I get? Ignored!'

With a huff, he picked up his T-shirt and threw it in her face.

"Wha…" Kagome snapped back into reality and pulled the shirt away from her face. "What was that for? You are such a jerk, you know that?" She opened her mouth, probably to yell at him again, when realization suddenly dawned. "Y-You're practically naked!" She shrieked.

Inuyasha smirked. "Better not be so loud, you might wake the runt."

She ignored him. "W-What the hell do you think you're doing, undressing like that in front of me?!?!" Kagome spluttered, looking as red as a tomato.

Raising an eyebrow at her unusually rough language, Inuyasha responded. "I always sleep like this. And since this is MY room, I'm getting ready to go to sleep. So if you don't mind-" He gestured towards the living room, looking amused.

"Why you…" Kagome practically growled. "You're still expecting me to sleep on the floor? What kind of man are you, anyway?"

"A tired one." He moved over to the bed and sat down. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to bed. G'night." He clicked off the bedside lamp and left Kagome staring at his form through the darkness.

Moments later a shuffling sound could be heard, followed by the sound of squeaking bedsprings. Inuyasha turned over to stare at her sitting on the other side of the bed, looking as if she was ready to run should he make any sudden moves.

"Don't get any perverted ideas!" She stopped him before he could question her actions. "I absolutely refuse to be the one to sleep on the floor! So, as long as we don't do anything funny, then I can sleep here if I want, right? It's not like we'd be doing anything like-like THAT."

He stared at her a moment or two longer before turning his back with a loud "Keh!"

"Whatever. Do what you want."

He stayed still until he felt that Kagome had finally decided it was safe and moved to lie down. She scooted as close as she could to the edge of the bed and covered herself with a small corner of the blanket before finally drifting off to sleep. It had been a very tiring day for all of them, so it really wasn't surprising that it didn't take very long.

Once her breathing evened out, Inuyasha sat up and looked down at the girl sleeping beside him. He watched her for long minutes with a much softer expression than he'd had earlier. "Stupid girl." He muttered affectionately. Taking the blanket they were sharing, he covered her more completely, making sure to tuck it in. Once he was happy with it, he laid back down, his face sporting an unusually satisfied smile.

His Kagome just couldn't resist a challenge.

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LOL! Who knew that Inuyasha could be so sneaky? He really is smarter than he lets on (sometimes). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that chapter! It is one of my favorites. And though things may seem pointless at the moment, this IS going somewhere! *laughs* Just wait until you find out what happens in the next chapter!

Until then, review! Pretty please?


	21. Caught Red Handed

I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to update! I was supposed to finish work over two weeks ago, but every time that I thought it was my last day, they asked me if I could work one more day, and then one more…and then on top of that, my new computer finally came! I can't wait to get rid of our old one that we have now, so I have been spending all my time transferring files. Thankfully, I am almost done! 

Hopefully, that stretch of time that passed with no updates will be by far the longest you guys will ever have to put up with. Thank you for being so patient! 

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Disclaimer: Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Miroku all belong to Rumiko Takahashi, but I'm sure that like any good mother, the day will come when she will want to throw her fully grown children out of the house and dedicate her time to having a proper mid-life crisis. Until then, I will just have to be patient…

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**

Chapter Twenty-One ****

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Early morning sunlight filtered through the dusty blinds that covered the lone bedroom window, signaling the coming of morning. Yet all was still silent save the sounds of light breathing coming from the occupants of the large bed. It was one of those quiet mornings where one just wanted to stay in bed and sleep, while all the worries of the day passed them by.

That is, it was one of those mornings until the first loud whisper broke the peaceful silence.

"How wonderful! I told you things would work out between them."

"Would you shut up or at least lower your voice? You're going to wake them up!"

"Forgive me. In my joy I got a bit carried away."

"Humph..."

"Not much of a morning person, are you, my love?"

"I told you before, don't call me that!"

The two unidentified voices continued their pointless conversation for a few more moments, but became suddenly quiet when one of the figures in the bed began to stir from the noise. The first sign of movement had been the flick of a furry white ear.

'Ugghhh. What the hell woke me up?' Inuyasha's fuzzy brain tried to register the room around him, but he just couldn't seem to get a grasp on consciousness. He was much too comfortable at the moment and didn't want to do anything but go back to sleep, surrounded by Kagome's comforting warmth and scent.

"Is Uncle Inu or Aunt Kagome awake yet?"

Inuyasha gave in to the urge to growl lightly, never opening his eyes or giving any other indication that he was awake. 'So THAT'S what woke me up! I shoulda known.' He tried to ignore the source of his irritation in hopes of going back to sleep again, when something a bit disturbing suddenly occurred to him. 

'Who the heck is she talking to, anyway!?'

Partially sitting up as fast as he could without disturbing the girl wrapped in his arms, he wildly glanced around the room until his eyes landed on the door at the foot of the bed. Or at least where a door SHOULD have been.

"Good morning, Inuyasha! I see you slept well." Miroku smiled widely, leaning on the open doorframe. "Or in any case, as well as a man could sleep with a beautiful woman in bed with him."

Inuyasha stared dumbly.

In the next moment the lecherous man was smacked upside the head by his companion, who was blushing furiously at being caught spying on her friends. Her other hand was busy covering Rin's eyes. "I am so sorry, Inuyasha! We didn't mean to interrupt you and Kagome, I swear!"

"Whaddya mean, 'interrupt'?" Inuyasha blushed as well and glanced down at Kagome, who was, thankfully, still sleeping peacefully in his arms despite all the noise. He quickly let go of her and jumped out of bed, knowing how the whole situation must look. "We weren't doing anything to 'interrupt', you perverts!"

Miroku cleared his throat and replied in a very condescending tone of voice. "Of course you weren't. Your hand was only up her shirt because it was warmer there, I'm sure."

When Inuyasha gave the other man a glare full of disbelief, Miroku pointed silently in amusement towards Kagome who was sleeping innocently, unaware that her shirt had ridden up so high from Inuyasha's hand being there that everyone in the room could see her bra. 

The pink bow with the frilly white lace was a very cute touch.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha was quick to turn and dive for the bed, tugging Kagome's shirt down before giving his friend a threatening glance. He also made sure he was standing in between Miroku and the bed. "Stop staring at her chest, pervert!"

"It's not my fault that I could see it." Miroku responded mildly.

"But that doesn't mean that you should stare at it!"

Sango watched the two argue back and forth with each other, contemplating which one she should hit first since she only had one hand free. Miroku certainly deserved it for staring, but Inuyasha DID have his hand there earlier, which was technically worse…oh, decisions, decisions…

She finally gave up trying to decide and freed up her other hand by uncovering Rin's eyes since there wasn't anything left to see, anyway. Rin just giggled, thinking the whole thing was a big game or something.

Kagome woke up just in time to hear the sound of two loud slaps.

"Oi, what the hell did I do to deserve that?!?" 

Kagome blinked owlishly and watched as Inuyasha rubbed the side of his face, giving Sango a dark look. Miroku didn't seem fazed in the least, probably because he was already covered in bruises from the night before. One more wouldn't really make that much of a difference.

'This is some strange dream I must be having…' Kagome thought, her brain still fuzzy from sleep as she stared at the group. Everyone had yet to notice that she was awake.

While Kagome speculated about what kind of food she'd eaten the night before to cause her to have such insane dreams, Miroku was intervening between Sango and Inuyasha before a fight could start between the two. "Please calm down, both of you! Fighting like this isn't proper in front of a child, you know." He gave Rin a pointed glance.

Like an angry child trying to pass the blame, Inuyasha pointed to Sango. "But she started it!"

"ME?!?"

Miroku placed a calming hand on Sango's shoulder. "Please, don't mind her, Inuyasha. Sango is - in a bit of a bad mood this morning." He smiled happily, obviously knowing why she was in a bad mood.

"Keh! Let me guess, she's upset because you showed up and terrorized her all night." Inuyasha snorted.

Miroku shook his head, his mood not brought down in the least by Inuyasha's accusations. "No, that isn't the reason she is in a bad mood-"

"Only part of the reason." Sango interjected, turning her glare on Miroku.

He ignored it and continued on as if she hadn't said a word. "The real reason is because while we were *cough* talking last night, we decided to place a small bet. I, of course, won." He turned to place his arm around Sango's shoulders with a smug expression on his face, and much to Inuyasha and Kagome's shock, she let him. The only move she made was to cross her arms with a "Humph".

When Inuyasha finally recovered from the odd sight in front of him, everything that was said began to sink in and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And just WHAT was this little bet about, anyway?"

"Why, how far you and the lovely Kagome-sama would go last night, of course." Miroku calmly answered while Sango nearly choked from embarrassment. "She didn't think either of you would be brave enough to make it to first base or even go near each other, but I did." A lecherous grin appeared. "Though, neither of us suspected that you would actually get a home run."

The room was quickly filled with Inuyasha's spluttered denials, while Kagome looked on with confusion and the dawning realization that the scene is front of her was not a dream. But even though she was slightly more awake than she had been before, she still couldn't seem to grasp what the conversation was about. Why in the world would Miroku be talking about baseball of all things?

It was about that time that Miroku finally noticed they were being stared at with no small amount of confusion. "Ah, finally awake, are we? It's understandable, since I'm sure that you would be tired after a night like last night."

"Huh?" Kagome frowned, not understanding what he meant.

Miroku decided to be helpful and clarify, which was probably not a good idea with the way Inuyasha was growling and flexing his clawed hands. "You and Inuyasha must have gotten to know each other very well last night, with the way you two were cuddling with his hand under your shir-"

"Shut up!" Sango panicked and clamped a hand over Miroku's mouth, glancing at Inuyasha who was about to lunge, and then to Rin who was still standing next to her and listening intently. "Just shut up, okay?" A moment later she shrieked and quickly moved her hand from his mouth, wiping it on his shirt in disgust. It wasn't hard to figure out what Miroku had done to cause such a reaction.

"Anyway!" Miroku gaily continued on as if no one had tried to stop him. "Since both of you were looking so cozy when we walked in this morning, I won the bet, and so therefore my dear Sango must go out on a date with me. A date of my choosing."

"Please don't rub it in!" Sango moaned.

Kagome shook her head, still trying (hopelessly) to keep up with the conversation. "His hand was where? Cozy?" She ignored Miroku's announcement about the consequences of the bet and muttered under her breath about the stuff that sounded important, trying to make some sense of it. Inuyasha could hear her and started blushing again, knowing he probably had some explaining to do.

Realizing that both Kagome and Inuyasha weren't paying any attention to them at the moment, and that it was a perfect opportunity to escape before Inuyasha could kill Miroku (why she actually wanted to keep him alive, she wasn't sure), Sango quickly grabbed Rin's hand and started to lead her out of the room. "Come on, why don't we go get some breakfast? Uncle Miroku's treat!"

"Wonderful idea!" Miroku followed them. "Then we can discuss the details of the date…"

The bedroom door closed behind them with a soft click and left the room eerily silent.

They both stayed quiet until they heard the front door close as well, confirming that everyone else was gone from the apartment. When Kagome was satisfied that they wouldn't get interrupted, she spoke.

"WHAT was that all about?"

Inuyasha just shrugged and looked at the floor, at a loss as to what to say.

"And what was this about your hand?"

Inuyasha looked up so fast Kagome was worried for a moment that he might have hurt his neck. He held his hands out, looking defensive. "It wasn't as bad as they thought it looked!"

That did NOT sound good to Kagome's ears.

He grimaced, trying to find a good way to explain that wouldn't cause her to yell at him, or even worse, try to kill him. "When I woke up, those two idiots were in the room, whispering." Yes, that sounded like a good route to take. Make sure to emphasize Miroku and Sango's part in the whole thing. "They must have been let in by the runt or something."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Or else you left the door unlocked again."

"Maybe." He reluctantly admitted. "Anyway, I guess sometime during the night we must have moved or something, 'cause we were…uh, sleeping kinda close together. And my hand was-" He looked at the floor again, fidgeting nervously and avoiding her steadily widening eyes, "-well, let's just say it wasn't in the most innocent place it could have been."

"You pervert!" She shrieked.

"It's not like I was intentionally molesting you in your or sleep or anything!" He defended himself. "I was asleep too, ya know." He didn't bother to say the rest of what he was thinking out loud. 'I should be the one upset; I wasn't even awake to enjoy it!'

Kagome grudgingly admitted to herself that he was probably telling the truth, although why that didn't make her feel any better, she had no idea. At least from that point on she was able to fill in the blanks from what she'd heard. "So Miroku and Sango had a bet about that and Miroku won because of the…way we were sleeping?"

"Yeah."

She laughed nervously, embarrassed over everything that had occurred, though it was a bit belated. "I don't know why they would have made such a crazy bet. It's not as if anything is going on."

"Nothing!?!" Inuyasha glanced at her sharply, his expression going from sheepish to a mixture of anger and hurt in a split second. "Is THAT what you think?"

"Huh?" Kagome blinked, startled by his swift mood change. "Wha-"

Kagome abruptly stopped trying to speak because to continue with that she was going to say would have been pointless. Inuyasha had already turned and stalked out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him.

"Inuyasha!" Letting out an exasperated huff, the girl scrambled off the bed quickly as she could, not bothering to pick up the blankets when they fell onto the floor in a jumbled heap. She managed to make it to the door without tripping over anything in her haste, and opened it to find him fuming or sulking as he leaned against the living room wall, she wasn't quite sure which.

Closing the bedroom door behind her softly, Kagome reached out a hesitant hand to touch his stiff shoulder. "Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

He glared at her and jerked away. "Keh! Nothing!"

"Liar!" Kagome's patience was quickly evaporating.

"Who said I'm lying?" He crossed his arms in a sullen manner and looked away from her. "Like I said, 'nothing' is wrong, just like 'nothing' is going on between us! I guess that means the kiss didn't mean anything to you, did it? You never said anything about it, so I guess I should have known." The last part about the kiss was said in low grumble, but still loud enough to be heard.

Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but no sound escaped. 'Is THAT what he's so upset about? I only said that because I was so embarrassed, and I never mentioned the kiss because I thought HE was supposed to say something! He was the one that started it, after all!'

When Kagome stayed silent for several moments, Inuyasha spoke again. "Well? You don't have anything to say?" His ears were lying flat against his head, a sure sign that he was more hurt than angry.

Kagome finally found her voice, and it was full of exasperation and frustration. "Inuyasha, I never said anything about the kiss because I was waiting for you say something! So if it's anyone's fault that I thought nothing was going on, then it's yours!"

"Mine?!?" Both of them were nearly nose to nose now, and both were terribly angry. In a way it was a very illogical fight, starting because of her belief that nothing was going on. But once that reason was brought to light, it was almost as if it didn't really matter anymore. Both were just angry and looking for someone else to blame for it.

They continued to stare each other down, unsure of exactly what to say or even what they were supposed to be arguing about by this point, but neither wanting to back down. 

The phone ringing finally interrupted the silent -and pointless- argument.

Kagome broke eye contact to look at the culprit that had caused the disturbance. "Are you going to answer it?"

"Humph. Why should I?"

The phone continued to ring insistently.

Kagome sighed. "Fine, I'LL answer it! Talking to someone else has got to be more fun than having a staring contest with you…" She then moved to grab it, but Inuyasha was one step ahead of her, snatching the receiver from its cradle. 

"Yeah, whaddya want?" He barked impatiently, glaring at Kagome from the corner of his eyes for even daring to consider talking to someone else when she busy fighting with him. So maybe it was a pointless, stupid argument, but at least she was paying attention to him and not anyone else!

Also, he knew it would be better if Kagome didn't answer the phone, just in case it was Sesshoumaru.

And speak of the devil…

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Yay! This chapter is finally finished! Over the time that I wasn't posting anything, I still got on and fussed with this chapter every now and then because I wasn't really happy with the way it was turning out. Editing this one so much did put me behind in getting the rest of the chapters written for this story, but hopefully I can get back to work on them now. So review, please! It will encourage me to pick the pace back up and post regularly again. ^_^


	22. Bad News, Or Good News?

Oh my goodness, I am so sorry about the long wait for this chapter! I tried really hard to get it written as quickly as I could, but I just couldn't seem to get the last scene written to the point where I was actually happy with it. Beyond that, I was also busy with other things as well. My grandmother is staying with us while her home gets remodeled (It probably won't be long before I get roped into painting or something), I went on a very sudden trip out of town, and I've been selling some of my things on e-bay which has been taking up a LOT of time.

Please don't worry too much, though. Now that I've finally gotten past that one scene, I shouldn't take so long getting chapters out, even if I am busy. After all, it is rare for me to go even half this long without posting anything when I'm not fighting writer's block, lol…

Oh, and before we get started with the chapter, I also have to say thank you very much to everyone who voted for me! My story was nominated for the 'Fiction Elimination' web site, and managed to survive the first round without getting eliminated. You can find the link for the site to vote at on my author's bio.

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Disclaimer: No, I do not own Inuyasha, but come back and ask me again in a few years. If by then I am actually rich enough that I can pay someone else to answer your question, that will mean that I finally managed to get my hands on him.

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**

Chapter Twenty-Two

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Sesshoumaru gazed blankly at a potted fern across the room from him, while tapping his claws against the smooth wood of the table in a precise pattern. It was obvious that even when the demon lord did something as pointless as tap his fingers, he allowed himself no room for error. Not a single click was ill-timed, though they were becoming more forceful by the second.

He was obviously waiting for something, and none too patiently at that.

Just when anyone watching would have expected his claws to pierce through the tabletop in front of him, the tapping abruptly stopped along with the sounds of ringing that were drifting from the phone in his other hand.

"Yeah, whaddaya want?" Inuyasha's voice growled.

Despite the rather unorthodox (and completely rude) greeting, Sesshoumaru's cool features never even twitched. 'This conversation should be most interesting.' He thought to himself with some vague amusement as he took in the 'slightly' unfriendly tone of his half-brother's voice.

Out loud, though, he sounded just as serious as always. "Well, hello to you, too, dear brother."

The phone line was silent for a moment, and Sesshoumaru remained quiet as well, waiting to see how Inuyasha would react next. He didn't have very long to wait.

"What the hell do you want this time, Sesshoumaru?!?!"

In response to Inuyasha's yelling, Sesshoumaru had pulled the phone away from his ear, never changing expression or even bothering to wince at the loud sound. Showing pain would be considered a weakness, after all. "You must be in an exceptionally good mood today, brother. You called me by my name, and not 'You Bastard'. Our relationship seems to be improving."

He never could resist baiting his temperamental sibling.

"Would you just get to the damn point? I don't have all day!" Inuyasha muttered sourly. As an after-thought, he added "bastard" under his breath.

When Sesshoumaru heard a small gasp in the background, along with a feminine voice exclaiming 'Inuyasha!' in a shocked manner, he couldn't stop his mouth from curving into a shape that might have been called a smile, had it been on anyone else's face. He found it amusing that even after several years of living on his own without his mother, Inuyasha's foul mouth was still getting him in trouble with women.

Some things never changed, it seemed.

When it looked like Inuyasha's companion had no intention of stopping her lecture on appropriate language any time soon, Sesshoumaru decided that it was time to reclaim Inuyasha's attention. "Forgive me for interrupting you and your 'guest,' little brother, but I thought I ought to warn you that I will be back sometime within the next two or three days to pick up Rin."

"WHAT?"

A sudden silence reigned on the other end of the line, Inuyasha's loud exclamation having successfully stopped Kagome's lecture in its tracks.

'I seem to have shocked him into silence.' Sesshoumaru considered silently as he waited for Inuyasha to speak again. 'Having a human heart, I rather expected him to form at least a small attachment to Rin, but this reaction is unexpected…'

"Oi!" Inuyasha's irate voice broke through Sesshoumaru's musings. "I asked you what the hell you said! I couldn't hear anything over little Miss Manner's ranting…" An irritated huff sounded in the background.

Sesshoumaru sighed softly, the sound as close to 'exasperated' as he would ever come. He should have known that Inuyasha would have a thicker skull than that. "I said that I will be arriving in a few days to pick up Rin." His mouth suddenly twitched before he added "Shall I repeat that once more in case your weak hanyou ears missed it again?"

The phone line was silent again, and Sesshoumaru correctly guessed that Inuyasha was trying to rein in his temper before speaking. 'Despite what he said earlier about her lecturing, he must truly care for that girl if he is making such an effort not to upset her. Any other time and I am sure he would be using language foul enough to make a sailor's ears burn.' Once again, one of his thoughts actually seemed to amuse him. Who knew that his annoying half-brother would prove to be such an excellent source of entertainment?

"I thought you weren't supposed to be back for another week at least!" Inuyasha finally managed to spit out, having once again regained control of his temper.

"As much as I shall hate to cancel the last few days of my trip, it is necessary. Business matters have come to my attention that cannot be put off, so I must go back and deal with them in a timely manner."

The other end of the phone line was quiet once more as Inuyasha digested the information given to him. This time the silence truly seemed contemplative, and Sesshoumaru was having a difficult time telling if Inuyasha was upset that he was coming back early, or just shocked. And if he was upset, was it because he would have to see Sesshoumaru, or because he would be losing Rin? Somehow, Sesshoumaru got the feeling that even Inuyasha himself didn't know for sure how he was feeling at the moment.

"I cannot give you an exact time or date for when I will arrive, but expect me within the next three days." He instructed, finally choosing not to say anything more that could be considered personal. He would let Inuyasha work through things for himself, and then they could talk later. And they WOULD talk. "I still have some things that need to be done here, but nothing that will take me very long. Good day, little brother."

With that, Sesshoumaru flipped his cell phone closed, cutting off the angry splutters coming from the other end. He stood up a moment later and headed for the glass doors that lead out to the beach behind his temporary home.

"Now, to finish up my 'business' here. Where could that woman in the purple bikini be…?"

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Kagome cringed as Inuyasha finally finished off his poor phone, his anger causing him to slam it down so hard that he completely crushed the plastic casing. Any harder and it probably would have gone straight through the table.

"Dammit, that bastard! He has some nerve, hanging up on me like that!"

Not sure if saying anything would cause him to direct his anger at her, Kagome took a hesitant step forward and placed a calming hand on his arm. Their earlier argument had been completely forgotten, and now the only thing on Kagome's mind was trying to sooth Inuyasha before he could destroy anything else around the room. The last thing she wanted to do was take a grumpy, penny-pinching hanyou furniture shopping…

"I doubt that you wanted to be talking to him in the first place, so isn't the fact that he hung up on you so quickly a good thing?"

He glared at her. "Maybe I didn't want to talk to him, but it was rude!"

Kagome raised her eyebrows at him. "And you weren't?"

"That's different!" He stubbornly insisted, obviously using logic that only he could understand.

Finally having had enough of his attitude, Kagome returned his glare ten-fold. "Stop acting like a brat, Inuyasha! Just because your brother hung up on you is no reason for you to pitch a fit and you know it!" When Inuyasha just crossed his arms in a huff and didn't answer, Kagome tried to recall what the phone conversation had been about. Perhaps Sesshoumaru had said something else to make Inuyasha mad, and he just wasn't admitting it?

She suddenly recalled Inuyasha saying something about Sesshoumaru returning. "Hey, is he really coming back sooner than you expected?"

Muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'nosey,' Inuyasha finally answered her. "He's coming back sometime within the next three days."

"Three days?" Kagome's face clearly displayed her confusion. "You mean he wouldn't give you a more specific time than that?"

Inuyasha ignored her question and continued to sulk silently.

'I know that he doesn't like his brother, but this reaction is a bit over the top, even for him.' Kagome bit her lip as she stared at him thoughtfully. He had moved to the couch so that he could stew while sitting down, and didn't seem to be aware of her watching him. 'What could have him so worked up that he's practically forgotten that I'm even standing here?'

It was then that the answer came to her with a sudden clarity that was almost startling, and the realization caused her face to soften as she stared at him. Of course the big jerk would miss Rin and be too stubborn to admit it!

"Inuyasha…"

As if the sound of her voice had snapped him out of some kind of trance, Inuyasha suddenly shot to his feet. He still hadn't looked at her, and his bangs managed to obscure his eyes from her.

"I think I'm gonna go for a walk…or something."

His voice had sounded gruff, as always, and yet this time it was unusually subdued. That fact had taken Kagome by surprise, so in the following moments that it had taken her to gather her wits, Inuyasha had already exited the apartment and left her staring after him.

Now she was torn between worrying and wanting to follow him and beat the life out of him for just leaving her like that.

"I can't believe him!" She huffed, taking a page from his book and sulking with her arms crossed over her chest. "Running off and leaving me here, just like that! He could have at least given me a little more warning or something."

Despite her anger at being left hanging like that, her worry for him was winning out. She knew him well enough to realize that he wouldn't have done that unless he was really upset about something. And she also knew that she shouldn't expect him to hang around and spill his guts, either. He'd been a loner for a long time, so he wasn't used to telling other people what he was feeling.

She could only hope that he'd want to talk to her later, after he'd had some time to think.

Shutting the apartment door behind her and remembering not to lock it (after all, who knew if Inuyasha even had a key for it), Kagome decided that it was time to go hunt down Sango and Rin. Maybe the former could offer her a sympathetic ear, and the latter a distraction. She could really use both…

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He'd been walking around the neighborhood for hours.

Not that Inuyasha noticed, of course. Being a hanyou made such a thing easy for him to do. He could have walked for days without tiring at all, and sore feet would never be a problem for him. You could pretty much say that he had it made, and most humans would have given anything to be like him.

But, at the moment, he probably would have traded in all his amazing abilities for a few painful blisters. Anything, as long as it might distract him from his thoughts for a while.

"Dammit, why does Sesshoumaru keep coming back? I thought he'd had enough of making my life hell while we were kids! Is his cushy, perfect little life so boring that he missed terrorizing me?"

Inuyasha's ranting received no answer from the people he was passing by on the sidewalk, but he wasn't actually expecting one. He'd grown much too used to talking to himself over the years since he'd moved out on his own. Being rude and antisocial, he didn't make friends easily so the only one he usually had to talk to was himself.

One thing Inuyasha couldn't understand about the situation was WHY Sesshoumaru seemed to have taken a sudden interest in him again. He'd been more than happy to see Inuyasha leave their family home, and had made no effort to contact Inuyasha until their father died. And even then, it was just a form letter and a call from a lawyer, informing him of his rights to the estate, along with conditions for inheritance.

Needless to say, Inuyasha hung up on the lawyer and sent Sesshoumaru's letter back to him, along with a crude picture drawn on top of it to show his brother what he thought of him.

Lost in thought and not paying any attention to where he was going, Inuyasha was startled into stopping dead in his tracks when he heard a familiar voice shout something from somewhere ahead of him. That was when he realized that he'd made his way to the small park not far from his apartment building.

Driven by curiosity and the need for a distraction, Inuyasha made his way towards the voice only to find Kagome and Rin playing on the swings, both obviously in a competition to see who could go the highest. Kagome was winning easily with her stronger and much longer legs (not that he was looking at her legs, of course), but Rin was still stubbornly trying to beat the older girl.

'Kagome must have gone to find Rin after I walked out and left her,' He suddenly realized with a flood of guilt that caused his face to flush. He hadn't been thinking very clearly at the time or he probably wouldn't have done such a thing. His temper had just managed to get the better of him, as always. 'She's probably really ticked off with me right now. I'll be lucky if she decides to talk to me again or even bring the runt home.'

The thought gave him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, which surprised him.

'I wouldn't actually MISS the brat, would I? Kagome I can understand, but…' His forehead creased as a thoughtful frown marred his face. Though it was against his will, he'd always felt a responsibility towards Rin since she was left in his care. But the thought that he might actually have an attachment beyond that was a hard possibility for him to swallow.

But as much as he didn't want to admit it, both Rin and Kagome had become his family. Almost like the family he'd lost…

Shaking his head furiously to rid himself of such unwanted thoughts, he once again focused on Rin and Kagome, now sitting calmly in the swings and talking. Both were still completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

'They look so much alike.' He mused silently as his thoughts took a sudden turn. 'Almost like sisters, or even as if they could be a mother and daughter…if Kagome were older, of course.'

Mother and daughter…family…

"Dammit!" He suddenly growled before quickly turning around and stalking away. He was angry with himself for allowing his thoughts to once again stray back into forbidden territory. If he didn't stop doing that, he'd eventually drive himself insane…or drive himself to talking to someone…

Inuyasha couldn't decide which possibility was worse.

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Now you can see why I had so much trouble with that last scene, right? It was SERIOUS! LOL, I love my humor, so getting serious is really hard for me to do sometimes…but I try, so hopefully it turned out fairly well in the end. I've got the rest of the story planned out, and quite a bit of it will be a little more on the serious side, but it won't lack for humor or fluff either. I hope you guys will bear with me and stick around to find out what happens! Until then, review and keep me motivated, 'cause I'm gonna need it!


	23. What Goes Up Must Come Down

I'm surprised I haven't been hunted down yet, lol...I'm so sorry for taking so long! My attention span for writing just hasn't been that great lately. Mostly because I've had so many distractions. I've been putting a lot of work into my web site (which still isn't finished), and I got a new kitten (which my other cat has been trying to kill at every given opportunity). That kitten gets into so much trouble! I was up in the middle of the night a few days ago giving her a bath because she dumped baby powder on her head, lol...

But anyway, the few times I did feel like writing, I found myself working on my other story instead. So that is why this one hasn't been getting that much attention lately. But thanks to some very encouraging people who left me reviews recently, I finally got myself together enough to finish this chapter! Thanks for being so patient with me!

Enjoy the new chapter! Miroku and Sango are getting a turn at being the center of attention, so you know what that means...more humor! And perhaps a little romance in the near future...?

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but really, who could claim such a thing? Inuyasha is a free spirit! Well, okay, that was an all out lie. No one could be a free spirit with a necklace like his…but it sounded poetic anyway, right?

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**

Chapter Twenty-Three

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As usual, the afternoon shift at Miroku's café was a busy one.

Kagura had her hands more than full, taking orders from all their regular customers who liked to come in for their afternoon tea and a little gossip. And if she wasn't busy taking and filling orders, she was hurrying to clean vacated tables before a new customer arrived, or even manning the cash register when needed. All in all, it was turning out to be one of the most hectic days she'd ever had to suffer through, though it wasn't much busier than average.

Why? Because Miroku was being even lazier than usual, if possible.

Sighing wistfully, Miroku leaned on the counter next to the cash register and gazed out the front windows, though he wasn't looking at anything in particular. He didn't even seem to notice any of the scantily clad college girls that wandered by on their way home from classes, which was extremely strange for someone as perverted as he could be.

But beyond that, the most startling thing of all was the fact that he didn't even seem to notice the death glare Kagura was giving him every time she passed by, something that he was normally terrified of.

"Excuse me?" A middle-aged lady waved a hand in front of unfocused violet eyes, attempting to get his attention after waiting in front of the cash register for several moments. "I'd like to pay for my meal sometime today, young man."

"Hmm?" Miroku's eyes snapped back into focus and he stared at her. "Did you say something?"

The woman frowned in disapproval at his inattention. "I said I'd like to pay for my meal, if you don't mind."

Miroku didn't recognize her as one of his regulars, so he just smiled politely and took her check without making any of his usual small talk. After inputting the total into the cash register, he took the money she handed him and gave her some change in return. "Have a good day, ma'am!"

The woman's eyes widened as she stared down at the money in her hands. She'd only given him 1,000 yen, and he'd given her back over four times that in change! Perhaps he mistakenly thought she'd given him 5,000 yen? What luck!

Looking around furtively to make sure no one else in the café was watching, as well as to make sure Miroku hadn't noticed his mistake, the woman pocketed the money and high-tailed it out of the building as fast as she could go without looking suspicious. Her attempt at going unnoticed was ruined, though, when she nearly mowed down some customers just entering the café.

Miroku never even noticed the commotion.

The thing he DID notice was Kagura slapping him up-side the head hard enough to leave an indentation in his skull.

"What in the world did you do something like that for?" He whined, clutching his head protectively and staring at her with wounded puppy dog eyes. "That hurt, I'll have you know!"

"Good." She glared at him flatly.

"But what did I do?"

Nearly growling at him, Kagura placed the tip of one neatly manicured index finger against the other and started counting off. "One, you just gave that customer back enough change to go eat at that five star restaurant down the street! Two, you've been moping around like a love-sick fool and letting me do all the work, even though we are so busy this afternoon. Three, I just felt like it." She punctuated her last reason with a wave of her hand.

Miroku blinked. "Did I really give that woman so much money?"

In unison, every other person that had been present during the exchange nodded their heads. So much for that woman thinking she got away with the money unnoticed.

Miroku gaped at the crowd. "If everyone saw me do it, then why didn't any of you say something sooner? Or even stop her before she could leave?" Miroku shot a disapproving gaze around the room at everyone as if they had been the ones to do something wrong, obviously trying to save face though it was probably far too late.

Kagura shrugged in response to his question and said what everyone else was thinking. "Why? You deserved it for being so stupid."

Again everyone else in the room nodded, including Miroku's ever loyal fan club of old ladies.

Miroku sighed and drooped his shoulders in defeat, trying to look as pathetic as possible. It was his favorite tactic, attempting to earn some sympathy from the older ladies since he knew it would be impossible to get any from Kagura. "The whole world is turning against me today, and just when I thought things were finally going my way!"

"Give it up!" Kagura tossed a dirty rag at his face before he could continue his dramatics. "Why don't you get off your lazy ass and go clean a few tables for once? I have to get some more orders taken care of. Oh yes, and I'LL take care of the register from now on since you so obviously cannot count…"

"Yes ma'am!" Miroku gave his employee a mock salute before marching off as if he were a soldier heading into battle.

Snorting in disgust, Kagura headed for the kitchen.

Humming happily, the café owner started wiping down the closest empty table and gathering the dirty cups and dishes that had been left there by its previous occupants. He looked as if he were finally somewhere other than in la la land and actually seemed intent on getting some work done. Perhaps Kagura had finally scared some sense into him?

Or, maybe not...

The customers at the tables surrounding him watched with amusement as he took the half empty salt shaker off the table and added it to the pile of dirty dishes he was collecting, along with the pepper shaker and napkin dispenser. He even took the little container of sugar packets.

"Miroku seems a bit distracted today, doesn't he?" One of the older women sitting at a table to his left commented. She was a regular and Miroku knew her quite well. "I've never seen him act like this before, so whatever he's thinking about must be pretty important." Her voice was just loud enough for the man being talked about to hear, but he gave no indication that he noticed.

Another woman nodded her head. "I'm guessing that he has a crush on someone!"

"Oh, I doubt something like that would make him act so absent-minded. Miroku has a crush on almost every girl he knows!"

"But maybe this is a really special girl."

"Like who? That Sango girl?" The owner of the voice sniffed in disdain. "I still don't see why he likes her so much."

At the mention of Sango's name, the formerly absent-in-mind café owner was now paying close attention to the conversation, his dazed look gone. If he'd had ears like Inuyasha, they would have been going crazy as he stood still and strained to hear what was being said, all the while holding an outrageously high mountain of dirty dishes in his arms. One false step and he'd be done for.

"So what do you think could have happened between them to make him act like that?" Another lady joined the conversation.

The first woman with the crush theory giggled like a school girl. "Maybe she told him that she loved him! Or even better, maybe they both confessed their undying love to each other! Wouldn't that be romantic?"

"Would you get your head out of the clouds? He would have told us if something like that had happened."

"Oh, but you know Miroku!" The first lady turned sly eyes to the subject of their discussion. "Maybe he just wants to keep all his options open for later, in case things don't work out between them." She blushed and winked at the gawking Miroku. "Don't worry dear, if you need a time away from your girl, I'll always be here for you!"

This caused a round of laughter throughout the room, and Miroku sweatdropped.

"So, when do you think the wedding is? I'll cry if I'm not invited!"

"They probably haven't set a date yet, but he'd better tell us as soon as they do!"

"Um, excuse me ladies…" Miroku weakly attempted to get their attention, knowing that he should put a stop to their wild imaginings before things got out of control. If Sango ended up hearing any rumors like that about the two of them, she'd kill him!

"Ohhh, I hope they decide to have children right off!"

"Children would be a nice addition to this place, wouldn't they? That little girl his rude friend brings around is so cute!"

"Do you think Sango and Miroku's children would look anything like her? I hope so!"

Miroku raised a hand. "Ladies..."

"I just hope the boys turn out as charming as their father..."

"LADIES!"

As one, all the women in the room turned to look at the shouting man in their midst.

"That's better." Miroku smiled, once again exuding his usual charm. He knew that as long as their attention was centered on him he could easily maintain control of the situation. "I hate to disappoint you, but Sango and I aren't that serious – yet."

One of the women to his right frowned before opening her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.

"BUT I finally got her to agree to a date for the first time (he wisely left out the part about the bet), so we have one planned for tomorrow night." He smiled at all the looks of shock that got sent his way.

"Miroku..."

"Our little Miroku..."

Suddenly all the women squealed like school girls.

"He has a DATE!"

"I can't believe it!"

"I never thought I'd see the day when our little Miroku would have a date! Why, it seems only yesterday that he was in diapers."

They continued to squeal and giggle while stating their disbelief that Miroku actually had a date, conveniently forgetting that they'd practically had him married off only moments before. Miroku could only watch with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement as the whole situation grew out of his control once again. Obviously he didn't have as much control over his fan club as he thought he did.

"So, what kind of date do you think would be appropriate, seeing as it's their first?"

"Oh, good thinking! We can't let him plan something so important on his own!" The speaker made a face of horror, as if it was an idea that shouldn't even be contemplated. "After all, what if he screws up? Then we'd never see what Miroku's children would look like!"

Her expression was suddenly mirrored by everyone else in the room including Miroku, though his was for a completely different reason.

"Now ladies, I really don't think I need help with anything." He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I was already planning to-"

"Nonsense!" The latest speaker was the woman that always seemed to lead the group. She tended to be a bit pushy, though well-meaning. "We only want to help you and make sure things go well for you on such an important occasion." As if the matter were settled, she firmly set her coffee cup down on the table as if it were a gavel signaling the opening of an auction. "So, any suggestions?"

"I think they should have a romantic dinner by candlelight!"

"Are you sure? That Sango girl might not like that."

The leader sniffed in distain. "If so, then she has no taste. Having a romantic dinner is a first date MUST if you are at all serious about getting to know your date better."

"No, no!" The woman shook her head. "I don't mean that she'll dislike the dinner. I mean that she might dislike being in the dark alone with him! He does tend to take advantage of that a bit."

"And she wouldn't LIKE that? Crazy girl! I'd give anything to be alone in the dark with him!"

Several of the women in the room giggled. "Oh, you are so bad!"

Miroku felt like sinking through the floor and vanishing from the face of the earth. His day, his wonderful, WONDERFUL day that had started off so well and had been so full of promise was going down the drain so fast that is was almost unsalvageable! After all, his date with the girl of his dreams was now at the mercy of a bunch of gossiping old women! And if this date didn't go well, Sango most likely wasn't going to give him a second chance.

Never before had his future looked so bleak.

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"No!"

"Please?"

"For the last time, NO!"

"But Kagome-chan-"

"Sango!" The other girl clamped a hand over her friend's mouth in exasperation. "I said it before and I will say it again. I will NOT go with you on your date with Miroku! You got yourself into the mess, so now you have to deal with it. Maybe it will teach you not to make such stupid bets!" Kagome took a deep breath after finishing her mini tirade before silently adding a bit more in her mind. 'Besides, why would I want to go on your date with you when I'm having such crappy luck right now? Inuyasha is so wrapped up in his own problems right now that he's barely even speaking to me.'

As if she was able to read Kagome's thoughts, a sly look came over Sango's face. "You're thinking about Inuyasha, aren't you?"

"I am not!"

Sango rolled her eyes. "Don't try to lie to me, Kagome-chan. I know you better than that."

"Well..." The shorter girl bit her lip, obviously hesitant to admit anything, though it was obvious that she was trapped. "Even if I was, what does it matter? We were talking about you and Miroku, remember?"

Sango shook her head, managing to look sympathetic and disapproving at the same time. "It matters because you looked so upset. You shouldn't spend so much time thinking about him, you know it will only upset you more. Besides, I'm sure Inuyasha will get over whatever his problem is soon. He's always been rather broody and anti-social. Just because he's not really talking to you right now doesn't mean he hates you."

Kagome sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"You need to get out of the apartment and just have some fun! Forget about school, forget about Inuyasha and his emotional constipation, and just let yourself relax!" She suddenly paused, as if hesitant about something. "You know, Kagome-chan, I was only thinking about you when I suggested that you come with me. I hate seeing you upset about anything, especially a guy. Will you PLEASE come with us? Just for a little while?"

There were a lot of good aspects to Kagome's personality, but when it came to people she cared about, she could be a complete sucker. It was so hard for her to say no when somebody put something like that, and this instance was no exception. Sango obviously knew her friend well.

"Okay, okay. I'll go with you for a while, but when I get ready to leave you have to deal with him by yourself!" She warned.

"Thank you, Kagome-chan!" Sango hugged the other girl fiercely, relieved that she wouldn't have to face the next night completely alone. After all, who knew what kind of tricks that pervert would have up his sleeve? At least when they made the date, the fact that it had to be the two of them alone wasn't specified!

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Poor, poor Miroku. His date plans are looking worse by the moment, aren't they? But who knows, perhaps things will go better than anticipated...Hey, I saw you roll your eyes! Do you really think I would be so cruel to Miroku? Wait, don't answer that! LOL, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry that I'm taking a short break from Inuyasha and Kagome at the moment, but they'll be back in a chapter or two!

Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think! Encouragement inspires me, and inspiration equals faster chapters.


	24. Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth

I'm glad that you guys enjoyed the last chapter! But I have to apologize in advance to everyone that asked me to give Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship some attention as well. This chapter and probably the next one will focus mainly on Sango and Miroku. I really want to tie up any loose ends with them, so that for the rest of the story I can concentrate completely on Inuyasha and Kagome as well as the conflict involving Sesshoumaru. So please just bear with me and enjoy these chapters! I think everyone will find this one amusing, especially when you see what the old ladies do...

Oh, this chapter is going to be SO much fun!

And before I forget again (meant to say something in the last chapter), I wanted to tell you guys that I got some really wonderful fanart from LSR7. It is of the scene early on in the story where Rin and Kagome are playing with Inuyasha's hair, and it is SO cute! If you want to see it, all you have to do is go to my author page and click on the link to my homepage. It will be under the fanart section.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape, or form, but I DO own...um...wait a second, should I really be proud of owning those old ladies? That sounds kind of twisted, doesn't it? Just forget I said anything...

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**

Chapter Twenty-Four

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"He did WHAT?!?" Kagome shrieked.

Not bothering to turn around and look at the shocked girl trailing behind her, Sango gave a terse nod and continued to plow forward towards her destination. "You heard me right! He made such a huge deal yesterday about wanting to do things 'properly, like a real date'-" She stopped to snort in annoyance after quoting the line Miroku must have used at least twenty times the day before "-but when he called a few minutes ago, he asked me if I could WALK to the restaurant instead of him picking me up!"

"But why in the world would Miroku change his mind like that?" Kagome cried, obviously baffled. She had to push herself harder to keep up with Sango's angry stride, and barely managed to get within arm's reach of the ticked-off girl in front of her despite the fact that Sango was wearing a formal black dress and high heels, while she was only wearing a basic pair of jeans and a sweater.

Obviously, she was fully expecting to make her escape since she hadn't dressed up like Sango, and the other girl was too distracted to notice her best friend's casual attire.

"As if I know why that pervert's twisted mind works the way it does!" Sango came to an abrupt halt as she reached a crosswalk, almost causing Kagome to run into her back. "When I get my hands on that idiot-"

Gasping for breath, Kagome sent a silent prayer of thanks for the existence of crosswalks and ignored her friend's grumbled threats. Though she was in fairly good shape, she was still nothing compared to the fitness-minded Sango. The girl loved competitive sports, so it gave her an extreme edge when it came to anything physical. And that was when she was in a GOOD mood! An angry Sango could be ten times worse.

After regaining her breath, Kagome furrowed her brow, confused at the latest development of which Sango had just informed her. She just couldn't understand it! From what the other girl had told her, Miroku had been nearly obsessed with the idea of the two going out on a classic style date. The attire would be formal, he would pick her up at the apartment (he refused to let Sango talk him into meeting at a restaurant), and they would have a romantic dinner for two at his chosen location, which he refused to reveal. Probably because he himself didn't know where at the time...

Of course, Sango had made her own attempt at ruining his plans by inviting Kagome, but then Miroku himself called and changed their plans at the last minute. THAT was clearly unforgivable in Sango's mind. Her deed paled in comparison to his because HE was the one who had tortured HER endlessly the morning before by making plans that scared her to no end, not the other way around, and then he had the nerve to change his mind barely a half hour before the scheduled time?!

Talk about rude!

She felt more justified than ever that she had invited Kagome to go with her. At least then she'd have a witness to lie for her should Miroku turn up dead the next morning!

Both girls were so lost in their thoughts that they almost missed the fact that traffic was finally at a standstill, and the group of fellow pedestrians that had been waiting with them was already about halfway across the road. Kagome couldn't help but groan as Sango struck out at a pace even faster than before to make up for the lost time.

After all, she couldn't be late. Not when she was so looking forward to strangling Miroku with her bare hands...

She smiled at the thought.

And then pedestrians started giving Sango a wide berth after noticing the disturbing expression on her face.

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He was SO dead.

So very dead.

Miroku groaned, burying his face in his arms as he waited for his inevitable doom that was drawing closer and closer. He was even starting to believe that he could see his life flashing before his eyes, but attributed that to the stories that his 'fan club' had been telling all evening about his childhood. It was hard to ignore them because every time someone would bring up something embarrassing about things he'd done as a child, one of the women would come by and giggle while patting or pinching one of his cheeks.

Miroku had never been the violent type, but at that moment he was seriously wishing he owned a gun. Whether he wanted to use it on his fan club or on himself he didn't know, but it still seemed like a wonderfully attractive idea at the moment.

"Either Sango will never speak to me again, or else she'll kill me for calling her and changing plans like I did. But no matter what happens, shooting myself with a gun would be far less painless than what I'm sure this night will bring." He muttered under his breath.

"Did you say something, dear?" One of the women stopped on her way towards the front of the café.

He faked a smile, though it was looking far more forced than his usual fabricated expressions. It was obvious that the stress was really beginning to take its toll on him as it was even ruining his acting abilities. "No, no, Sakura-san, I'm perfectly fine. Just a little nervous!"

Nodding her head in understanding, she patted his arm before continuing on towards the front door of the café. A moment later, Miroku realized her intent.

"What are you DOING?" He cried anxiously as he watched what he once thought to be a sweet, innocent old lady post a closed sign on the café door. "You can't just close this place without asking me first! What about all my customers?!?" He hadn't really taken note of what they were doing before because the knowledge that his hard-won date with Sango was being unwittingly sabotaged was traumatic enough. Now he realized that they were planning on taking over the WHOLE place for his date, and not just a table like he'd thought.

"Oh, stuff it, would you?" She rolled her eyes at him like a teenager might roll their eyes at their parents. "Practically all your regular customers are already here anyway, so it won't hurt to close down for the rest of the night."

"But-"

"Stop whining!" With a gentle shove, one of the ladies managed to push the now-standing Miroku back into the chair he'd been banished to earlier. "You should just relax and leave everything to us, dear. Why, I don't think I've ever seen you so nervous! With the shape you're in, I don't know what you would have done if we hadn't come to help you."

With a groan of defeat, Miroku slumped over so far that his forehead almost hit the table's surface.

"Poor guy."

A snort followed the pitying whisper. "I don't see what you mean. I personally think he had this coming."

Shippo turned to Kagura with an annoyed glare. "Can't you at least be nice for ONCE in your life? Miroku's been really looking forward to this date! He may be a pervert and an idiot, but even you have to admit that he really loves Sango. He's been after her for years-"

"He might not have had to chase her for so many years if he had just stopped groping her like the lecher he is." Kagura smirked and leaned on the counter as she watched the women scurry back and fourth. "If he had just done things right from the beginning, he wouldn't be in this mess."

The kitsune teen hated to admit it, but Kagura did have a point. Miroku might have had Sango a long time ago, had he only been able to let go of his vices and treat her with more respect. After all, as much as Sango had always tried to hide it, she was attracted to the lecherous café owner and had come close to blowing the cover on her feelings more than once. But Miroku's perverted ways had always managed to get in the way at the worst possible time, and the whole nasty routine would start all over again.

"Well, as much as he deserves it, I still think it was pretty harsh of them to restrict him from leaving the building to pick up Sango just because he's so nervous that they were afraid he'd run off and not come back." Shippo remarked, giving the still slumped-over Miroku another pitying gaze. "Although they don't realize that it's THEM making him so nervous! I bet if he'd gotten the chance, he wouldn't have come back and just taken Sango somewhere else."

"Yes, but then it wouldn't have been nearly as fun for us."

Shippo's tail bristled angrily as he glared at the tall woman next to him. "You know, I don't see WHY Miroku keeps you around! You can be such a mean, nasty little-"

"I advise you to stop getting so worked up about everything and just sit back and watch the show." Kagura suddenly spoke again in a bland voice, interrupting Shippo before he could say anything to dig himself in too deep. "In the end it will come down to what is more important to him, Sango or those women. If he is really serious about that girl, he'll send those women packing."

"Wow, you actually said something intelligent about relationships!" Shippo gasped in mock horror. "Could it be that you know more about interacting with others than you let on?"

Kagura scowled. "Don't push your luck, or I'll show you my favorite way of 'interacting with others', as you put it."

Shippo gulped and decided he'd better remain quiet. Kagura was known to be rather violent when the occasion called for it, and he didn't really relish the idea of finding out what being on the receiving end of her youkai power was like.

Taking her advice, he sat back and prepared to watch the show.

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"Dammit Sango, wait up!" Kagome gasped out as her friend approached the door to the café before cringing at the realization of what she'd said. 'Man, I've been hanging around Inuyasha WAY too much lately...'

Fortunately for Kagome, Sango didn't notice her slip in language as she nearly ripped the poor little café door off its hinges and stormed inside, fully prepared to do battle with the man who had so thoroughly ticked her off.

But what she wasn't prepared for was the sight that greeted her upon entering the little restaurant.

"Welcome!" A merry voice cried. Kagome came in just in time to recognize her as the little old lady that enjoyed hitting Inuyasha with her purse. His favorite nickname for her was the 'sadistic, brick-toting old biddy'. "If you'll step right this way, Sango-san, Miroku is waiting for you at a cozy table for two!" She reached out and coaxed a shocked Sango towards a small table in the center of the room where Miroku was waiting with a pained look on his face.

Kagome could only stare at the place in amazement from the doorway.

Everywhere she looked there were candles. So many, in fact, that the room felt like an inferno from the heat of all the flames. They were perched on every available space, including all the tables that had been pushed back around the walls, leaving the one lone table in the middle of the room for Miroku and Sango to sit at. Ironically enough, that was the only table in the entire room that didn't have a single candle on it.

What really made the room look strange, though, was the fact that no two candles were alike. It looked as if the woman had taken every spare candle they'd had at home and brought them to the café. There were tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, and even rather tacky looking ones with Christmas designs on them. Some were also scented, and the blend of all the scents was making the room even more overwhelming than it might have been otherwise.

Kagome almost felt faint at the combination of heat and strong smells.

"What are you doing here?" One of the women suddenly came up to her and hissed, glaring at her with disapproval for doing something as rude as showing up uninvited on a date between two other people. Not that any of them were doing such a thing, oh no...

"Um..." Kagome twiddled her thumbs sheepishly as if she'd been caught doing something wrong. "Sango asked me to walk with her because she was so nervous..." She lied, unable to bring herself to admit the truth. Maybe with Sango distracted, she could make her escape.

The little woman suddenly smiled. "Aww, that is so sweet of you!" She grasped Kagome by her forearm. "Why don't you stay with us in the back and have a little something to eat? We can't send such a nice young lady home without a little of our home cooking to keep her warm."

Before the younger girl could reply, she was almost dragged to the back of the café. For such a small old lady, she sure was strong!

"Kagome!" Shippo cried anxiously when he saw her enter the kitchen where he and Kagura had also been banished, much to the female youkai's annoyance. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Kagome eyed the distraught kitsune with worry as she vaguely noted an odd smell very different from the candles in the front room. She shrugged off whatever it was, more concerned at the moment with Shippo who seemed really upset about something, although she wasn't sure what she'd be able to do about it. But she listened to him anyway as he relayed the problem to her.

Leaning over, he whispered in her ear. "This is really bad! I finally found out why all these women always come here to eat!"

When she gave him a confused look, wondering what that had to do with anything, Shippo pulled her over to one of the stoves where he lifted the lid off one of the pots sitting on it.

The odd smell from before assaulted Kagome's senses again, but much more strongly this time.

"Oh my goodness...what is that stuff?" Kagome muttered, leaning over to peer in the murky depths of the pot.

"Homemade miso soup." Shippo muttered.

Kagome reared back as if the soup had tried to bite her. "Please tell me you're kidding! It doesn't smell or look anything like miso soup!"

"You're telling me." He then proceeded to pull off the lids of all the other pots on the stove to reveal other dishes that didn't exactly look or smell like they were supposed to. Most of it actually made her stomach churn, the smells were so bad. Not to mention several of the items were starting to burn rather badly.

"What are we gonna do?" Kagome whispered. She couldn't let her friends eat that stuff. She actually wanted them both alive at the end of the night!

Shippo seemed to consider the situation as he stared at the floor. He'd originally planned on staying out of everything and just watching like Kagura had said, but letting his boss be poisoned wasn't something he could just sit back and watch. He might lose his job if Miroku died!

"Well, I could run out and pick something up if you can buy me some time." He finally suggested.

"Me?" Kagome squeaked. "But I don't think-"

"C'mon, Kagome, please?" He gave her his best puppy dog face, knowing that would make her agree to nearly anything because she was such a sucker for cute expressions. "Don't you want Sango and Miroku's date to go well?"

Just then, they heard one of the women cry something about the CD player not working. The woman continued to panic until another one of the more technically savvy women (she has a teenaged grandson, after all!) came along and told her she'd put the CD in upside down.

Kagome and Shippo both cringed.

"As I was saying, don't you want Sango and Miroku to have one ray of light amongst all the darkness?" He'd quickly given up the idea that Sango and Miroku's date might have a snowball's chance in hell of actually going 'well'.

"Fine." Kagome sighed in defeat. "But how do you suggest I go about buying you enough time to get back here with the food?"

Shippo suddenly smiled. "Don't worry, I have an idea..."

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I am so happy! I was having SUCH a hard time getting this chapter written for some reason, but suddenly out of the blue tonight I managed to get the entire thing written in one sitting! That is pretty amazing for me, considering I tend to have the attention span of a hyperactive two year old. But anyway, hopefully you guys really enjoyed this chapter! And look forward to the next chapter, because Sango and Miroku's date will really get started, and you'll get to see exactly what everyone has in store for the poor couple. Please review!


	25. Change of Heart

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Thanks for all the reviews! And thank you guys for being patient with how long it has taken me to update lately. Well, except for one reviewer that will remain nameless since they didn't leave one. I don't really know if you were joking or not, but I was offended by the tone that you wrote your review in. You have no reason to act like I'm not going to finish this story. Looking at everything I've ever written and posted (not including my two most recent stories since I am still working on them), can you see a single story I never bothered to finish? 

I rest my case.

But now that I am through ranting, lol, I do have some good news! Someone was really kind and nominated this story for the Inuyasha fanguild awards. Thank you Kellychan85, I feel so loved! And thanks also to slvrstarlight for seconding the nomination! To anyone that is interested in voting, information on the fanguild and a link can be found on my author's page.

Oh, and sorry about the spacing. The periods I was using kept getting kicked out. If anyone has any better spacing suggestions that the quickedit won't remove, please let me know!

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Disclaimer: To be honest with everyone, I really don't own Inuyasha...and have you noticed that being honest never seems to get you anywhere in life? Maybe I should just lie, but then the only place that might get me in life is jail. I just can't win!

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**

Chapter Twenty-Five

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Awkward didn't even begin to describe the atmosphere at the small table.

"So, umm..." Sango gave Miroku a perplexed look, her anger long forgotten in the midst of her surprise. "What's going on, and why are all these women here? Aren't they all your customers?"

Miroku gave her a half-hearted smile, still seriously wishing for that gun. "Well, the situation is rather complicated..."

"Complicated how?"

Miroku winced slightly, unsure as to how to tell his date about the events leading up to what was occurring at that moment. How did one tell the girl of his dreams that he'd allowed twelve other women to horn in on their very first (and probably last) date together?

A change of subject sounded like a good idea.

"I just remembered something, Sango. Wasn't that Kagome-sama I saw following you in here a few moments ago?"

It was Sango's turn to squirm, and she forgot for the moment that he was originally the one sitting in the hot seat. Why she thought she couldn't tell him the truth she didn't know, but just felt as if she didn't want him to be upset with her. But why would that matter? It wasn't as if their date meant anything to her. It was only the result of a stupid bet and nothing more.

"I, uh, asked Kagome-chan to walk with me." Sango finally replied, unwittingly using the same excuse that Kagome had given.

Miroku nodded in understanding with a contrite expression on his face. "About that...please forgive me, Sango, for not being able to pick you up like I had originally planned. Some things came up-"

"And what things would those be?" Sango's voice had gone from being almost embarrassed to cold in a matter of moments as she recalled her earlier anger with the man sitting across from her. "I'd REALLY love to know what was so important to you that you couldn't even spare a few minutes to walk to my apartment." She arched an eyebrow at him.

Ah, here it came, the deciding moment of his fate. Would she forgive him, kill him, or merely get angry enough to walk out on their date? Neither of the last two options sounded terribly appealing, so he seriously hoped for the first one.

"Sango, I-"

"Dinner time!" A cheerful voice sang out, interrupting before he could say anything.

Miroku's hand tightened around the edge of the table in reflex as he contemplated how hard it might be to throw it at the woman approaching them. For someone as non-violent as Miroku claimed to be, he was certainly having a high number of homicidal urges that night.

A moment before Miroku could make up his mind to actually do anyone bodily harm, the small woman came to a stop at their table and smiled brightly at the pair. She was wearing an apron (stolen from the supply room) and had a small notebook and a stubby, nearly pointless pencil in her hands. "Good evening to you. My name is Saki-san, and I will be your-" She paused to peer down at her notebook, obviously attempting to recite a pre-written speech. "-honored server tonight. On the menu, we have a homemade meal of traditional dishes that will make your taste buds dance in delight!"

One of the women off to the side giggled and proudly whispered that she had come up with that line.

"Now, to start off your meal tonight, we have a bowl of-"

A high-pitched squeal suddenly echoed around the room, causing the woman to break off her speech just before she could announce the first dish.

"Saki-san!" The much, much younger Kagome squealed again as she came running into the room from the kitchen like an excited little kid. She was holding something clutched tightly in both hands and when she reached the table, she nearly shoved it in the old lady's face. "Look what I found in the back! Shippo and I were bored, so we starting going through the drawers in Miroku's desk-" She had to stop herself from cringing when Miroku started to splutter "-and we found this picture! Could you please tell me the story behind it?"

To make the temptation too difficult to resist, Kagome gave Saki-san the most pathetic puppy dog eyes she could muster.

"Oh my...it's been so long since I've seen this picture!" In a daze, the older woman plucked the picture from Kagome's hand and stared at it with fondness. While she was distracted, Kagome sent Miroku an apologetic glance before starting to inch her way back towards the kitchen to dispose of all the food. No one noticed her leaving as all the other women gathered around to take a peek at the picture themselves.

"Oh, it's you and Miroku!" Someone cried. "Wasn't he just a little darling at that age?"

"Oh, he was! How old is he there?"

The woman holding the picture smiled. "Miroku was three years old in that picture. It was taken the day I moved into the apartment above the one he and his father lived in. He was such a cute little boy, and he tried so hard to help me move small boxes and anything else light enough for him to carry. Even back then he was out to impress any female he could."

Sango, not able to resist the pull of her curiosity, stood up and tried to get a look at the picture for herself. She'd never seen a picture of Miroku as a child that she could recall and couldn't help but wonder what he was like, so she dodged his frantic attempts to grab her arm and pull her back into her chair.

Poor Miroku, he knew what was coming and flinched when Sango finally got a good look at the picture and froze.

"So you were even a little pervert back then, huh?" She turned her eyes on the adult Miroku, who made a feeble attempt to keep an innocent and amiable expression on his face.

In the picture, a younger version of Saki-san was cuddling a tiny Miroku in her arms as they posed for a picture, probably taken by Miroku's father. The little boy looked almost blissfully happy as he lay snuggled between the older (but still attractive) lady's breasts, a small hand clinging to each. If it had been any other child the picture might have been perfectly innocent, but anyone who knew Miroku wasn't fooled in the least.

"Yes, he certainly took after his father." Saki-san reminisced in response to Sango's accusation, not giving the topic of their conversation a chance to defend himself. "I had just lost my husband and had to move into a smaller apartment, and the day I arrived all I wanted to do was cry. It was a very difficult time for me." A few murmurs of sympathy drifted around the room. "But then I met Miroku and his father, Mushin, and they did such a good job of making me forget my misery! Why, I don't think even my husband touched me in his entire life as many times as Mushin-san did that afternoon!"

Several of the women laughed out loud at that, many of them having personally known the man being talked about when he was alive.

It was just at that moment that one of the women noticed something odd in the picture.

"Hey, do you see that? There is someone else in the picture, but I can barely make anything out. Who is it?"

Saki-san squinted at the picture, but couldn't remember who the other small figure in the picture was. The person was short, close to the three-year-old Miroku's height, and they were standing at the far right of the picture in the dark shadow of the building's doorway.

Sango suddenly snatched the picture away and gasped. "Hey Miroku, isn't this Inuyasha? I'd know those ears and that sulking posture anywhere!"

"What, you mean that rude little dog-eared boy that spends so much time bothering Miroku?" The woman speaking looked positively scandalized. "I'm surprised Miroku grew up such a gentleman if he spent so much time around that other boy!"

Sango scoffed. "Miroku? A gentleman?"

Miroku's wounded gaze landed on Sango, but before he could defend himself, one of the women spoke up in his defense.

"How dare you say such a rude thing, young lady!" She glared at Sango, obviously angry and ready to defend their little Miroku to the death if need be. "Here he went through all this trouble to set up a lovely date for you, and you still say such hurtful things about him! I really don't understand what he sees in a girl like you."

Sango cringed. She wasn't sure why the woman's accusation hurt her so, but it did.

"I knew this date was a bad idea." One of the few pessimistic women of the group muttered. Though she had participated in the planning and setting up of the date, she'd had reservations about it from the beginning and everyone knew it. "Miroku should find himself a nice girl, one that isn't so cruel and abusive. I knew she'd never be good enough for our Miroku."

Sango, as well as several of the kinder women in the room, stared at the speaker in shock. Though a lot of the women admittedly shared the same sentiments, that was far more blunt than they would have ever considered being.

"Megumi! That was uncalled for! Couldn't you have been a bit nicer?"

"I only stated the truth." She shrugged, unconcerned.

"But still, you could have-"

"Apologize."

The room fell quiet as everyone turned towards Miroku, who had nearly been forgotten in the midst of the drama going on because he'd been so quiet and unobtrusive. He was staring intently at the table in front of him and refusing to look at anyone, yet his voice still held determination as he repeated his command. "Apologize to Sango. Now."

Again the room was quiet as Miroku's words sunk in. No one had ever heard him speak like that before, and it was disturbing to say the least. He was normally so kind and considerate to all of them no matter what, but now...

"M-Miroku, dear, I-" The woman known as Megumi stuttered. "-I was only defending you!"

It was then that the man in front of them finally looked up, and they were startled at the expression in his eyes. He looked resigned and determined all at once, as if he'd decided something and wasn't planning to back down now that he'd gotten the ball rolling. "I know all of you mean well and that you have only tried to be helpful, but none of you have the right to say such things to Sango. I won't allow it."

The girl standing across the table from Miroku could only blink, stunned into complete silence at his defense of her.

"Ever since I first met Sango, I realize that I have done nothing at all to earn her good opinion. She has every right to hit me, and accuse me of not being a gentleman." He smiled slightly, though it was rather sad. "She has done nothing to be criticized for, and I won't stand for any one of you being rude to her no matter what the circumstances may be." He met each woman's eyes one by one, hoping to drive home the seriousness of what he was saying. "All of you are like mothers to me, but as important as all of you are, none of you mean as much to me as my Sango does."

"Miroku..." Sango whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing and hearing. He was so serious, and sounded far more sincere than she'd ever believed him capable of being. Could he really be telling the truth about how strong his feelings were for her? Just the thought made her head start to spin.

"Now," Miroku suddenly wiped the depressed, sad expression off his face, though he remained unusually serious. "I want all of you to apologize to Sango, and then I'd like for you all to leave. I appreciate your good intentions in trying to help me, but I should have put a stop to all of this from the beginning and done things my own way."

One by one, the shame-faced women went up to Sango and made their apologizes. They all seemed very abject and sincere, and Sango found it very easy to forgive all of them. In a way, she even understood why all of them acted the way that they had. It was only natural for a mother to want to defend her son. And to all of them, Miroku was like a son.

Saki-san was the last one to approach Sango, and she leaned in to give the tall girl in front of her a hug. While Sango was bent over, she whispered in her ear "I've never seen Miroku stand up to all those interfering old bats before. No matter what they said, I knew you'd be good for him!"

Sango didn't know whether to laugh or be embarrassed.

While all of this was going on, Shippo and Kagome had come in with a couple of plates of food and a promise to see all of the women home safely. Even Kagura was quick to help, steering some of the more reluctant women out of the room with her infamous intimidation tactics. But before they left, Miroku gave each of them a hug, hoping to show them that he really wasn't angry with them. Most of them left smiling.

Soon, Miroku and Sango were left alone for the first time that night.

"Shippo brought us some food from a place down the street." Miroku looked nervous, and was attempting to steer the conversation to safe ground with hopes of dispelling the awkward atmosphere. "He said the food that was originally made for us met an unfortunate end, though he did not say how."

He got no response for his efforts, so he tried again.

"I'm surprised that Kagura was being so helpful. She normally treats me as if she hates me and laughs at my misfortune."

Again he was met with silence, nearly driving Miroku over the edge with his nervousness. Was she upset with him still? Did he handle things badly? Perhaps she thought that he had been too harsh, or that he hadn't been hard enough-

"You were wrong, you know."

Miroku's frantic thoughts came to a screeching halt at the quietly spoken sentence, and he could only stare at Sango in surprise. What did she mean, he was wrong?

Sango was staring back at him now, but her expression was unreadable while his practically spelled out his anxiousness. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something in response, but when he didn't, she decided to continue.

"When you were defending me, you said something that wasn't true."

Miroku's expression quickly turned baffled. "Sango, if I said something wrong, I didn't mean to-"

His near babbling was stopped by Sango reaching across the table and placing a hand over his mouth.

"Miroku, you said that ever since you first met me, you've done nothing that would earn yourself my good opinion." She suddenly smiled slightly, her hand still firmly planted over his mouth. "But that isn't true, at least not anymore. What you said tonight did the trick I think."

Miroku's eyes widened in shock, not sure that he could really believe what he was hearing. Did she really just say what he thought she said?

When Sango made no move to release his mouth, he grabbed her hand and pulled it away, but didn't let go of it. Instead, his hand clung to hers tightly as he gazed into her eyes beseechingly. "Please, Sango, explain to me what you just said..."

She suddenly blushed and looked down at the table in front of her.

"Miroku, I...I'd always been attracted to you, but I never allowed myself to admit it, or believe that I might mean anything more to you than every other woman you would grope. I'd never seen you really serious before, so I assumed that you were just incapable of having sincere feelings for any one woman." His eyes flashed with hurt at her words, so she hastily continued. "Or at least, that was what I had convinced myself. I think I realized that there was more to it than that, but I didn't want to take the chance in case I found out that I was only seeing things that weren't there."

A hopeful light was shining in Miroku's eyes at Sango's confession, and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Wait! Before you say anything, I'm not done yet." She waited for him to nod, and then continued. "When you defended me tonight and said those things, I think that was the first time I really saw you, Miroku, and not just the pervert with the wandering hands. I know how much those women mean to you, how important they are to you since you lost your mother at such an early age. Yet you told them that I mean more to you than they do." She squeezed his hand and smiled. "That, I think, is the sweetest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth, because you sounded like you truly meant it. Not like all those rehearsed lines you try to use on me all the time. If you can manage to act like that more often, you might actually survive a relationship with me."

"Really? You really mean that?" Miroku sounded like a little kid, his voice filled with hope and awe at the things he had just been told. In his wildest dreams, he'd never imagined that such words could ever come out of the mouth of the woman he loved so much.

Instead of answering him, Sango leaned over the table and kissed Miroku, leaving the man so stunned that he couldn't form a complete thought to save his life.

But thankfully, he didn't have to.

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"Oh my God, they kissed!"

Outside the restaurant, a small, muffled cheer erupted as the exiled group spied on the couple inside through one of the front windows. Passing pedestrians were sure to give the strange little group a wide berth.

"I won the bet, so pay up." Kagura held out her hand, while Shippo and three of the older women grudgingly handed the smug women 1,000 yen apiece.

"I can't believe Sango was the one who kissed Miroku!" Kagome shook her head, still trying to grasp the concept of her best friend actually having physical contact with Miroku that wasn't violent. But really, what shocked her more was that Kagura had been the one to bet that Sango would be the one to make the first move. "Why do I get the feeling that something isn't right here...?"

Shippo giggled. "Because something ISN'T right! Do you really think all these sweet little old ladies could have come up with such an evil plan on their own without help?"

Kagome gasped. "You mean-"

"Kagura was the mastermind." Shippo pointed a clawed finger at the woman greedily counting her money before leaning in to whisper "But just so you know, the bad cooking wasn't part of the plan."

Leaning against the wall in shock, Kagome stared at the female youkai across from her and ignored Shippo's crack about the women's cooking skills. "Why in the world would you..."

Kagura sniffed. "That wimp really needed to grow a backbone and be honest for once in order for someone like Sango to have some respect for him. But he's so helpless that I had to do it for him, as usual."

Shaking her head, Kagome just barely managed to get over her surprise in time to follow the group as they headed off down the street, finally leaving the new (and completely oblivious) couple in the café to themselves for real this time.

If they only knew.

But then, ignorance is bliss, as they always say...

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Done! I hope it turned out well, because that was the first time I've ever put so much time and effort into writing something serious regarding Sango and Miroku's relationship. More than anything, though, I have a hard time writing Miroku being serious. Anyway, drop me a review and let me know what you think! Oh, and as a random bit of info, I got the name Saki from my cat, lol...

Next time: Back to Inuyasha!


	26. A Little Time Alone

I am SO sorry that it has taken so long to get this chapter out. But there were certain circumstances in my life the last several months that really killed almost any desire to write, though I did manage to get a few stand-alone stories and drabbles written during that time. But writing anything else seemed downright impossible, and as a lot of people probably know since I'm plenty of others have had it happen to them, that can be really, really frustrating and annoying for someone who really loves to write.

But now, though I feel like writing again, I can't make any promises about how fast I'll manage to update because I got a steady, full time job. You know, one of those things that actually pays you money for your time unlike fan fiction, LOL...but hey, fan fiction is far more entertaining any day so you can be sure I'll keep writing! I'll just be a lot slower than when I'm not working.

Anyway, before we get started, I'll just note here that it's more serious than my average chapter...which explains why it took me forever and a day. No complaints though, the humor will make its comeback! After all, look at who's writing this story. I can barely be serious for five seconds in a row. But I try hard!

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Disclaimer: My therapist told me that pretending the Inuyasha characters really exist isn't healthy, but they also said that pretending to own them is even more unhealthy...why? Because people laugh at a person who talks to imaginary people, but they sue people who imagine they own them.

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**

Chapter Twenty-Six

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Rin.

It wouldn't be long before he would see her again.

A strange feeling swept through Sesshoumaru at the thought of finally returning home and seeing the little human girl along with his brother. He wouldn't exactly call the feeling 'happy', but perhaps 'content' would be a good way to describe it. It was a feeling that wasn't good, bad, or any other kind of extreme. It was just there, reminding him that whatever would happen would happen, and that nothing else he could do beyond what he had planned would change anything.

It was obvious by the vaguely pained look on his face as he gazed out the plane window that it wasn't a feeling Sesshoumaru was familiar with. He was used to having power and extreme control over everything in his life. Things had almost always been the same for him in the fact that roadblocks and obstacles were practically nonexistent when there was something he wanted to accomplish.

But not this time.

Strangely, though, that fact didn't bother him nearly as much as he thought it should. Perhaps because everything was still going as he'd originally planned it, outside of returning a bit early because of incompetent employees. But in the long run, even that unforeseen circumstance wouldn't matter much. After all, knowing Rin, even with the shorter time frame with which to get to know her 'Uncle', Sesshoumaru was sure that she must have had more than enough time to work her magic on his stubborn brother (though unknowingly on her part) and soften Inuyasha up a bit for the talk that was to come.

And then, finally, he could hopefully make things right. If not for himself, then for their father...and for Rin...

Sesshoumaru suddenly had the urge to sigh. That little girl would surely be the death of him, making him so soft.

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_"I don't even know why father keeps you around. You are worthless; a half-breed. Not at all fit for the family name."_

_"Shut up!" a seven-year-old Inuyasha bristled, baring his tiny fangs at his older half-brother from across the room. No matter how much he told himself that Sesshoumaru was just a jerk and that his opinion didn't mean anything, it still hurt. And that, of course, he hid with his customary anger that had already become a habit so early in life. "That's not true, 'cause Dad said so!"_

_"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, seemingly not bothered by the fact that his own father argued against him. Nothing ever seemed to change Sesshoumaru's opinion of his younger brother. It was an opinion that had been instilled in him at a very young age by his own mother, who had unknowingly created what would be the bain of Inuyasha's existence years before he was even born. After all, how was she to have known that after her death, Sesshoumaru would acquire a hanyou sibling? "Just because he said it doesn't mean it is true, or that he really meant it."_

_"He did too mean it!" No matter how futile it was, Inuyasha continued to stubbornly try to defend himself. "He said that just 'cause you're a full youkai doesn't mean you're better'n me!"_

_"Better THAN me, Inuyasha. Say it properly." Their father's stern voice carried into the room and caused the younger of the two brothers to flatten his ears. "And Sesshoumaru, we need to have another talk. NOW."_

_Without waiting to see if he was being obeyed, their father vanished from the doorway just as quickly as he had appeared, leaving the summoned son to follow him as expected. Which, of course, he did. Not even Sesshoumaru dared to ignore something when his father made a demand. The man always got the respect he commanded, and with good reason._

_Before he left, though, he had to leave one parting jab at his little half-brother._

_"See what I told you?" Sesshoumaru spoke in a lower voice to prevent their father's exceptional hearing from picking up anything more. "You can't even speak properly, which shows that you don't belong in this family at all."_

_When he was alone, Inuyasha allowed a few tears to fall, though he angrily wiped them away. He hated crying. It was weak for a man to cry. "Stupid Sesshoumaru. He don't know nothin'! I can speak better if I wanna - I mean, if I want to."_

_Light laughter floated into the room, and despite the situation (after all, he didn't like to be laughed at) the sound was comforting more than anything else. Inuyasha knew his mother would never laugh at him with the intention of being cruel._

_"Darling, don't listen to your brother." His mother admonished as she entered the room. "You don't have to be like anyone but yourself. Though, it wouldn't hurt you to pay closer attention to your lessons." She added as an afterthought._

_"Keh! I do too pay attention..." He blushed and crossed his arms over his chest in a pose that he would later become infamous for._

_Laughing again, his mother wrapped her arms around him in an affectionate hug, causing him to blush in embarrassment though he didn't pull away. He really felt he was getting too old for such stuff, but as long as no one else was around to see, he figured it wouldn't hurt too much to humor his mother a little bit. Well, just as long as she didn't try to kiss him or anything like that._

_Which she did._

_"EWWWW!" He jumped back and swiped a disgusted hand over his face, trying to remove the imagined 'cooties', only causing his mother to try and repeat the offense while laughing._

_His mother...even if no one else did, she still loved him..._

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_"Dammit, what are you thinking!" An older, though still in his teens, Inuyasha shouted._

_Across from him, his mother cringed but patiently tried to reason with her son._

_"Inuyasha, please don't be upset about this. I know it's a shock, but we really had no intention of upsetting you..."_

_"I don't care what you 'didn't mean to do'! All I care about is what you DID do!" _

_He paced in front of her where she was seated on a small sofa in their living room. Somewhere deep down his conscience was telling him that he shouldn't be yelling at his mother. That he was blowing everything out of proportion and that he should listen to her and calm down. After all, she was looking drawn and pale, and the added stress of his anger was probably something she really didn't need at the moment._

_But...he couldn't seem to help himself. That small, reasonable voice in the back of his mind was being drowned out by everything else. The hurt. The anger. The betrayal that the one person who he'd always thought would be there for him no matter what could do such a thing._

_"Calm down, Inuyasha." His mother pleaded with him. "If you would just listen to me, I-"_

_He stopped pacing and turned towards her, his eyes burning with a shield of anger, the one he always pulled out whenever he needed to cover up any other emotions that he didn't want to feel or show. "Calm down! Why the hell should I calm down after you going and doing something like this!"_

_She cringed again, unused to his anger being directed towards her. "Inuyasha, you know that I love you and that I would do anything to make you happy, but there isn't anything I can do about this. Please understand, and try to be at least a little happy for me." Her eyes pleaded with him._

_But her pleas went unanswered. Instead, it was as if shutters had been pulled over his eyes when his mother had told him that there wasn't any way that she could change what had been done. Perhaps he was just realizing that for himself._

_"Maybe I should just leave. You obviously don't need me anymore, anyway." His voice was tightly controlled._

_"Inuyasha, don't-"_

_"So, you want to leave, do you?" A new voice suddenly entered the conversation as its owner appeared in the doorway of the room. "How do you plan to support yourself?"_

_Inuyasha and his mother both turned towards his father._

_"I dunno, but I'll think of something." He responded sullenly. His father had hit on something even Inuyasha himself hadn't thought of before making his impetuous decision, and the fact annoyed him to no end._

_The room was quiet for a moment as both of the original occupants waited to see what would be said next. The older man seemed to be thinking about something..._

_At last, he seemed to come to a decision. "If you want, you can have a job with one of the family-owned businesses. At least until you find something else you would rather do. But I warn you that it won't be anything much. With your lack of experience and having nothing more than a basic education, the best job you can get will just barely be able to support you. Are you sure this is what you want?"_

_Inuyasha nor his mother had been expecting that answer, and while on'es eyes brightened up, if only slightly, the other let out a horrified gasp. "No! What are you thinking? He only just turned eighteen! What about college? What about-"_

_With one look, Inuyasha's father silenced her, telling her that they would discuss things later. Then he turned back to his youngest son. "So, do you accept my offer or not? Think fast, because I'm not in the mood to be patient." He knew his son's tendency to make hasty decisions, and he wasn't disappointed by the answer he received._

_"Fine, I'll take it."_

_His father nodded briefly. "Come with me then and we'll talk about details."_

_With one last reassuring look at his wife, Inuyasha's father exited the room with his son in tow, Inuyasha never bothering to look back at his mother..._

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He awoke with a jolt, sweat beading on his forehead and hands still shaking from the memory of the emotions that had been all too real to him again.

"Dammit, what is with these dreams lately?" Inuyasha muttered, swiping at his forehead with the back of his hand. The action was reminiscent of the movement his younger self had made in his dream just a short time before.

"Uncle Inu?" A small voice whispered off to his right side. Turning, he noticed Rin sitting on the couch, still in the clothes she'd been wearing earlier that day and looking rumpled, as if she too had fallen asleep on the couch. He must have accidentally awakened her...

Hey, wait...wasn't it her bedtime yet? Come to think of it, why wasn't she already in bed?

Trying to focus his sleep-muddled brain long enough to check the clock on the wall, he managed to confirm that it was almost midnight and that he and Rin must have fallen asleep while waiting for...waiting for what?

"Where's Aunt Kagome?" Rin suddenly questioned him.

Oh yeah. That.

Inuyasha grumbled something along the lines of "How the hell should I know?" but the question did shake him out of his stupor just a bit more.

As much as he'd held out the hope that she would come and help him as usual, he'd known from the start that she probably wouldn't. After all, the night before, instead of returning Rin to him herself, she'd sent Sango to do it instead. And Sango had stayed long enough to help out and get Rin ready for bed.

And all because he was an ass. A stupid, idiotic ass who was way too wrapped up in his own problems.

The thought made him want to bash his head into a wall. Repeatedly.

When Sango had brought Rin back to him the evening before, she had flat out told him that she was there at the request of Kagome, because the other girl didn't really want to see him at the moment. She was obviously still upset over earlier that day when he wouldn't talk to her, and instead had just walked out and left her with no real explanation.

At first he'd thought Sango had meant that Kagome was angry with him. After all, she really had every reason to be. But Sango surprised him when she clarified that Kagome wasn't really upset with him. Just hurt and convinced that he must need some time to himself, so that was why she'd decided to keep her distance for a while.

But when Kagome had requested that Sango put Rin to bed in her place, she failed to realize that Sango didn't have any intention of giving Inuyasha that supposedly much needed 'time to himself'. Not by a long shot...

He cringed when he recalled how blunt Sango had been with him. Not that he hadn't needed it, though.

"Personally, Inuyasha, I think you just need to get over whatever angsty past you've been burying yourself in lately," she poked him in the chest with a finger as she leaned in until her face was mere inches from his. "And if that means telling someone about it to get it off your chest, then tell Kagome! If anyone would be willing to listen to you, she would! I don't know why you insist on being such an idiot and keeping everything to yourself, but if you keep it up, you may find yourself out of options!"

Taking a step back in an attempt to regain some of his personal space, Inuyasha tripped over the edge of the sofa and fell on his butt, neatly trapping himself for Sango against the worn cushions.

"You're a blind idiot if you can't see how much Kagome obviously cares about you! As much as she likes Rin and children in general, do you REALLY think she's over here all the time just because of that? Of course not!"

She now towered over him menacingly, causing him to gulp nervously and clutch the couch cushions as if they were lifelines. Women could be scary...

"But as much as I really feel like beating some sense into you right now, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and let you live long enough to try to make things right with her." Feeling satisfied that she'd sufficiently scared the crap out of him, Sango backed up a step and her voice became dry and faintly amused. "After all, as much as you try to hide things, you're almost as much of an open book as she is when it comes to your feelings for each other, which gives me some hope that you won't totally screw things up in the end."

Inuyasha flinched. He'd always realized that about himself somewhere deep down, but it was still painful to hear someone else point it out to him and totally shatter his delusions of being a tough guy. What a blow to his ego.

Sango laughed at his pained expression. "Get over it already. Did you really think no one noticed?"

"Not really." He muttered, refusing to look at her.

And that was the end of their conversation. Well, less of a conversation and more of an 'I talk and you listen' sort of deal. But whatever it had been, it turned out to be just what Inuyasha had needed to really see things clearly for the first time. And to make him think seriously about someone other than himself and his own problems.

Inuyasha knew he had to do something to make things up to Kagome and to show her how much she meant to him. But what could he do?

The thought plagued him as he managed to get the once again nearly unconscious Rin tucked into bed, still in her rumpled shorts and t-shirt. Not that she seemed to notice or care, as tired as she was. She didn't even protest being left in the bedroom alone.

Shutting the door as quietly as he could behind him, Inuyasha sat back down on the couch. The whole time he was eying the cordless phone sitting on the table as if it might suddenly jump up and bite him.

Was it too late to call? Would it just make her upset with him, or would she mind after hearing what he had to say? But would she even listen long enough to hear what he wanted to tell her?

Gathering up every ounce of courage he possessed, Inuyasha reached for the phone and started to dial a number that he'd managed to memorize over the past few weeks. After all, it was a number that he'd dialed many times, normally in a panic over something silly (such as Rin having locked herself in the bathroom so she could 'clean' it for her Uncle) though there were times he practically had made up excuses just so he could talk to her.

Sango was right. He WAS really obvious, wasn't he?

Shaking his head, he tried to dispel his blush and forget his embarrassment as he listened to the ringing, and waited, hoping someone would actually pick up.

'Please, Kagome, pick up the phone...'

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Whew, I can't believe how long that one chapter took me to write! It must be some kind of procrastinating record! But it just makes me that much happier that it actually got finished, and believe it or not, I think I really like how it turned out despite how difficult it was to write the more serious parts. I really wanted to bang my head on the wall at times, though... 

Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!


	27. We Need to Talk

Okay, I've really been bad about updating this story, haven't I? I honestly didn't mean to go this long between posts, but I hit a bit (well, far more than a bit) of writer's block with it. The final chapters are always the most difficult for me to write, so I guess I'm not really surprised that I've had such a problem with it, but I know it drives the readers crazy when an author pulls such a long vanishing act. So I'm really very sorry! Thank you for being so patient with me, though.

From now on, just don't forget to keep an eye on my profile if you want to know how much progress I am making on any particular story, because I keep updates posted of how much I've finished of each chapter. Sometimes I slack off with those as well, but not nearly as often as I do with my actual writing.

Oh, and I would say two more chapter left after this one, and then the epilogue!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha...what, were you expecting me to say something else? I can't always be the intelligent, witty, charming person you all think I am, you know. Everyone has flaws! looks offended at the hysterical laughter her statement elicits What, what did I say?

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**  
Chapter Twenty-Seven

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Kagome groaned pathetically and rolled over to face the wall beside her bed, although she knew that it was probably something she was better off not doing at the moment. Because with the way she was feeling, it was all that she could do to fight the urge to bang her head against it in frustration.

Insomnia was evil...pure evil...

Normally going to sleep wasn't a difficult task for Kagome. She was one of those that most people would say had a clear conscience, because very little tended to keep her from getting a good night's sleep. She would always fall asleep shortly after going to bed, and wake up annoying cheerful. But for once that wasn't the case, and even after laying awake for an unusual amount of time, Kagome had the feeling that she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep any time soon. After all, nothing she had already tried had done her any good...

First, she'd tried counting sheep.

When that common solution hadn't succeeded in lulling her to sleep, Kagome had tried humming a lullaby until a very grumpy Sango had efficiently put a stop to her efforts with a well-aimed pillow.

Finally, in a last ditch, desperate effort, she had resorted to thinking about her math homework, that being the most boring thing she could possibly think of. But to her annoyance, all that served to do was to make her anxious about something else, since she was so close to failing that one class.

Now it felt as though hours upon hours had passed since she'd gone to bed, but in reality she wasn't sure what time it was. It would have been easy enough to sit up and look at the alarm clock situated on the nightstand between her bed and Sango's, but she was so frustrated with her inability to sleep that she knew she would probably burst into tears if something confirmed it. Better not to know...

Darn it, why was she having such a hard time falling asleep?

Really, she should have been happy with the results of the day, and tired from all the work that she'd put into making it happen. Kagome had waited so long for her stubborn roommate and perverted friend to get a clue, but now that what had once seemed to be impossible had actually happened, she felt a little...empty? It wasn't quite the word she was looking for, but it was the best one she could think of to describe how she was feeling.

Why couldn't she find it in her to at least be happy for her friends?

'Who am I kidding? I know why...' Kagome rolled over again before pulling the covers up over her head. 'It was fun at the time, helping them out and using them as a distraction from my own problems. But now that everything is quiet again, I can't avoid thinking about my own depressing circumstances anymore.' She sighed unhappily. 'I admit it, I'm jealous of Sango and Miroku now, something I NEVER would have thought possible. Oh, why does Inuyasha have to be such a stubborn idiot!' A fist slamming into her pillow punctuated the thought.

After that a small amount of time passed with Kagome completely lost in her miserable musings. And she was so far gone from reality, that when the phone suddenly rang, she jumped in surprise and ended up nearly falling off the bed.

"What the heck!"

After hurriedly sitting up and untangling her legs from her blanket in an effort to prevent herself from really making a painful trip to the floor, she glanced around the dark room with a confused expression on her face.

"MIROKU!" The ringing had stopped during the time Kagome that had spent freeing herself from her covers, and now an outraged voice cut through the darkness. "If you call and ask me to spend the night with you ONE more time, I'm gonna make sure you can't EVER do anything even if I decide to-"

There was silence for a moment as whomever was on the phone managed to cut off her roommates angry tirade, and Kagome waited quietly for her friend to speak again. 'That's funny...how did Sango manage to get to it before me, anyway? I thought she was asleep...'

"Oh, sorry about that." Sango had gone from angry to sheepish in a matter of moments. "Obviously, I thought you were Miroku calling again...hey, wait a minute! What are YOU doing calling in the middle of the night, anyway? I shouldn't be apologizing to you, you idiot! You woke me up!"

She was back to being angry again, and Kagome couldn't help but be slightly amused as she wondered who could possibly be calling so late. If it wasn't Miroku, then who...?

"Fine, fine. I guess I'll let you talk to her, though I really should just hang up on you. Hold on a second."

"Huh?" Kagome's eyes widened as Sango held the phone out to her, the other girl's form barely discernable in the darkness. "Someone wants to talk to me?"

A huff of impatience followed the question. "Come on, would you just take the phone already? I'd like to get back to sleep sometime tonight, and I have a feeling he won't go away until you talk to him."

"..." Feeling a bit hesitant, though she wasn't sure why, Kagome reached across the space between their beds and took the proffered receiver gently as if she was afraid it would explode. "Hello?"

There was nothing but complete silence in response to her greeting.

"Hellooo? Is anybody there?" Irritation was beginning to creep into her voice. Surely he, whoever 'he' was, hadn't hung up on her, had he?

From across the room, Sango muttered "Don't tell me he woke us up just to chicken out! Moron."

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion after hearing Sango's 'chicken out' comment, Kagome suddenly had a very good idea about who it was calling her in the middle of the night. She couldn't believe she hadn't realized it sooner, but then, she decided, she could easily just blame it on lack of sleep. "Inuyasha? Is that you?"

"Uh..."

"I knew it!" Kagome slapped the nightstand with her right hand, causing the lump in the bed across from her to jump and mutter unrepeatable things. "What in the world do you think you're doing, calling me so late?"

"Sorry for waking you up." He muttered.

She didn't bother to admit to him that she'd actually been awake the whole time. Let the jerk feel guilty...though perhaps he'd feel even guiltier if he knew that he was the reason she hadn't been able to get any sleep at all? That thought almost made her reconsider. "Well, what were you calling me about? Might as well tell me now since I'm awake." She could almost feel his wince at her callous tone.

"I...uh..."

He seemed to be struggling with whatever he was trying to say, but instead of feeling any pity, it just served to make Kagome more irritated. "Would you please just tell me so that I can go back to bed?" She grumbled. "I've got a class tomorrow, in case you've forgotten."

"I just...you..." Kagome resisted the urge to hang up on him. Inuyasha had never been very good with words, but really, this was ridiculous! "You...I was just wondering why you didn't show up tonight!" He suddenly blurted out. "Where were you?"

Inuyasha's stick-foot-in-mouth moment was followed by a long, heavy silence.

"Oh, so that's all I'm good for now?" If she'd sounded upset with him before, nothing compared to the way she sounded right then. If possible, Kagome's voice was as cold as Kagura's after taking the time to comprehend Inuyasha's question. "I can't do anything for myself, so let's get Kagome to do it! She won't care!" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"No!" Inuyasha protested in a panicky voice, obviously realizing what a stupid thing he'd said. "I didn't mean to say that!"

"Then what DID you mean to say?" She questioned, suddenly sounding as tired as she felt. All she wanted to do at the moment was to hear him out and get everything out in the open so that she could finally get some rest. "Just tell me, because I can't much more of this, Inuyasha."

The guilt-wracked hanyou on the other end of the line took a deep breath.

"I meant...I meant..."

&

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&

Damn it! When he had decided to call Kagome, he hadn't planned on the conversation going so badly. What in the world was wrong with him? Why was it suddenly so hard to ask her something that he'd asked a million times before? Stuttering and acting pathetic was NOT something that set well with him, and that was all he seemed to be doing at the moment. It was so embarrassing!

"I meant...I meant..." He seriously wanted to hit himself right then when he still failed to say what he wanted to, but refrained since Kagome would probably have been able to hear it on the other end. As if she didn't think he was crazy enough as it was!

"Inuyasha, if you don't spit it out right now, I'm going to hang up on you."

The hanyou cringed at the threat, know she was perfectly serious. "Fine! Actually, I called to see if you would come over." There he'd said it!

"W-what?"

He could tell she was surprised, and perhaps even a little suspicious. He wasn't sure what she could be suspecting him of, but it wasn't like he was planning on attacking her or anything once she got there! What kind of guy did she take him for, anyway? One like Miroku?

The idea that she of all people didn't trust him caused him to sound irritated when he answered. "Would you just come over already? We need to talk."

"That's it? Just 'talk' and nothing else?"

Now if he didn't know better, he'd say she was being downright sarcastic. What the hell...?

"Keh, what else do you think we'd do? And here I thought Miroku was the only pervert I knew!"

Inuyasha could hear Kagome spluttering in embarrassment before she finally pulled herself together.

"NO, you dummy!" She practically shouted at him "I thought that you probably just wanted me to help you with Rin like you always do!"

"Oh..." Now it was his turn to blush was embarrassment.

It was quiet on both ends for several moments as Kagome worked on getting her annoyance and embarrassment under control, and Inuyasha attempted to come up with something to say that WOULDN'T get him in trouble. It wasn't easy, though, because he seemed to have a great talent for sticking his foot all the way in his mouth and out the other end.

He made a face. What a lovely mental image that was.

"Kagome, I think we really need to talk, but I need to do it now before..." He trailed off, not wanted to finish the sentence. His ego just couldn't take it at the moment.

"Before you chicken out?" Kagome obviously had no desire to spare his male pride and hit right where it hurt.

"Keh."

The line was quiet on both ends as Kagome contemplated Inuyasha's request. And the longer the silence stretched, the more nervous he became. Would she finally tell him to get lost? He knew she would probably be a lot better off without him around to drive her crazy, but still, he couldn't help but hope that she hadn't quite had enough of him yet.

"Okay. I'll come over, but you'd better already have Rin in bed and everything else taken care of before I get there." Her voice was firm, and he knew that there would be hell to pay if he didn't follow through.

"Why the hell wouldn't she already be in bed? I'm not THAT pathetic!" He glanced over at the bedroom door as if willing her to stay where she was. Knowing his luck, the moment Kagome walked through his front door, she would probably come out still wearing her day clothes, and that would make Kagome angry and then he'd probably never see her again. Or perhaps he was feeling just a little paranoid at the moment.

"Whatever you say, Inuyasha." The sound of her voice showed Inuyasha exactly how much she believed that particular statement of his. "Anyway, just give me a few minutes to change clothes and then I'll be there."

After hanging up the phone, Inuyasha scrambled to make sure the mess in his living room area was cleaned up (can't have Kagome realizing that he'd fed Rin ramen AGAIN for dinner) and checked on the sleeping child once more to make sure she was well tucked in and that no sign of her clothing was visible to anyone that might see her while she was sleeping. And once that was done, he waited as calmly as he good for the girl of his dreams to show up on his doorstep in the middle of the night.

Good thing Miroku didn't live in their building, because he would certainly have a ball with that scenario!

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Whew! Done! I can't believe I finally got the next chapter written after so much time. But hopefully it wasn't too awkward, because it was really hard for me to get the flow going for this chapter and keep it tuned to the rest of the story. It was so bad that I literally worked on this one chapter off and on for months. And when I would get fed up with this chapter, I would move on other another story or even another chapter of this story, and then come back later and try again. But I FINALLY feel as if I am happy with it! And hopefully you guys will be just as happy with it (even if it is just a bit shorter than average because I felt that think was just the right spot to end at), so leave me a review and let me know what you think! 


	28. Completing the Puzzle

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, lol...thank you for not getting on my case too much for taking so long with that last chapter! All the kind reviews have really been great for making me smile despite all the stress I've had in my life recently (believe me, there has been a lot because just when things settle down, something ELSE crazy seems to happen at work! Sometimes I think the patients are saner than the employees around my office). You really don't know how much I appreciate all of you sticking with me and being so understanding!

Now! Are you guys ready to move on to the chapter? Well, too bad if you aren't, because I'm leaving without you.

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**WARNING**: Language alert. But what else do you expect when Inuyasha has to do a lot of talking?

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; therefore I do not make any money off of what I write. Which should really be pretty obvious if you think about it, because if I could make money doing this all day, I'd quit my job (AKA the source of almost all my stress) in a heartbeat! Oh, the complete and utter unfairness of it all...

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages**

Chapter Twenty-Eight

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"This had better be good," Kagome grumbled to herself as she opened the front door to her apartment and stepped out into the thankfully deserted hallway. If it hadn't looked bad enough before with her going to see a single man every evening when she was helping with Rin, this would certainly do it!

'It would be just my luck if someone did catch me visiting Inuyasha's apartment in the middle of the night.' Kagome shot a paranoid glance at the apartment door next to the stairs as she started up the steps. 'The gossipy old lady that lives there likes to frequent Miroku's café, and if he ever found out about this, neither Inuyasha or myself would ever live it down. It's like the pervert has spies everywhere…'

Shaking her head to rid herself of the disturbing mental image of what life would be like if that were true, she finally set foot onto the landing of Inuyasha's floor. Glancing around carefully, she realized that once again she had lucked out and it was deserted. At least something that night was going right!

"Why, whatever are you doing wandering the halls this late at night, my dear?"

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin and just barely avoided falling back down the stairs in her haste to turn around and face the speaker. "N-nothing at all!" She laughed nervously and tried to smile at the older lady, but the expression came off completely wrong. "Er, good evening, Mitsuo-san…"

"Good evening." She returned automatically, though polite greetings were obviously the last thing on her mind if the expression on her face was any indication. From her place on the landing below the one that Kagome was standing on, Mitsuo-san was peering up at the younger girl with a suspicious gleam in her eyes. "Are you feeling alright, Kagome-san? You seem a bit upset…"

"Oh, I'm fine!" Kagome responded so brightly that it sounded false, even to her own ears. "I'm just…looking for something I might have dropped the other day!"

The elderly lady was obviously was sharper than she appeared, and didn't believe that excuse for a moment. "In the middle of the night, dear?"

Kagome resisted the urge to wince. "Um, well, it was something really important and I just couldn't sleep until I found it…"

Mitsuo-san nodded in a show of sympathy. "You poor thing. It must have been something very special indeed for you to lose sleep over it. Was it something your hanyou lover gave you?"

Kagome started choking, but tried to cover it up with a cough until she had enough control back to actually respond. "No, no! Nothing like that." She waved her hands in an almost frantic gesture of denial. "And he isn't my…uh…lover…he's just a good friend! That's all." By the time she was finished, her face was glowing a deep red, and Kagome wanted to turn and bang her head against the wall next to her at the knowing smile that appeared on the older lady's face.

"That's really too bad, my dear. You two would make such a lovely couple!"

"Yes…well…" Uncomfortable with the way the conversation was headed, Kagome quickly searched her mind for a good way to change the subject. "Oh, I didn't ask! What are you doing up and about at this hour?"

Mitsuo-san smiled. "Oh, you know. These old bones just won't let me sleep sometimes, so I decided to walk about a bit until I could settle down."

This time it was Kagome's turn to see through an obvious lie, though of course she couldn't say anything about it. She just attempted to look sympathetic. "It must be very rough on you, not being able to sleep-"

"Oi!"

Once again, Kagome nearly fell down the stairs after being startled by a voice behind her, but this time a clawed hand was there to catch her.

"What the hell are you standing around out here for?" Inuyasha grumbled, still holding onto a shocked Kagome's arm.

"I-Inuyasha!" She stood staring at him several moments as she tried to gather her wits, and finally managed to find the presence of mind to pull her arm away from him. Or at least she tried to, but he wouldn't let go and she couldn't do anything about it without making a fuss in front of their audience. Kagome made a mental note to kill him later when they were alone… "What are you doing out here?"

"Keh! Looking for you, of course!" Inuyasha smirked as a dark look crossed her face, promising retribution. "I've been waiting for your ass so long that I finally got sick of it and decided to come find you!" He knew perfectly well that she was trying to hide the fact that she was headed to visit him from the old lady, but he didn't care anymore. Let the old hag tell Miroku! Kagome deserved it after the 'good friend' comment he'd heard her make a few minutes earlier.

"Oh, ho, so he's been waiting on you, has he?" The gleam in her eyes was back stronger than ever, and Kagome just wanted to find a hole in the ground and never come out. "I'm so terribly sorry! I certainly didn't mean to keep you from each other! I'll just go on about my business while you two go have fun. Good night, my dears!"

Before Kagome could even begin to protest, Inuyasha was dragging her by the arm towards his apartment door.

"You jerk!" She hissed as quietly as she could, well aware of how easily they could still be overheard. "Why did you have to go and do that! If you'd just been a little more patient, I might have actually been able to keep her for realizing anything!"

Inuyasha pulled her into the apartment and shut the door behind him. "Keh. Yeah right. Keep believing that if you want."

He was right, of course, but that didn't mean Kagome had to admit it. Instead she just huffed and stalked over to the sofa where she made herself comfortable for their 'talk'. "So…what was so important that you asked me to come see you in the middle of the night?" She crossed her arms over her chest and shot him a pointed glare.

Like magic, that one little question caused Inuyasha's cocky attitude to vanish, and in its place was his usual gruff awkwardness that always came out whenever he had to talk about anything remotely personal. It would have been amusing to Kagome under any other circumstances. Well, maybe it was still a tiny bit amusing...

She barely resisted the urge to smile over his fidgeting like a guilty five-year-old. "You can get started any time now, you know…"

Finally, with a defeated sigh, he plopped down on the sofa next to her and crossed his arms in a position similar to hers. He appeared almost sulky, as if she were the one that had set up their little meeting and was forcing him to talk, not the other way around. "I wanted to talk to you because I guess I owe you some explanations." He finally muttered.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "And this was important enough that you had to drag me out of my comfortable bed in the middle of the night? Couldn't it have waited until morning?"

He shot her a glare as if she were being unreasonably difficult. "Keh! It couldn't wait because if I don't do it now, I'll probably never do it, okay?"

"Well, then do it and quit beating around the bush!"

"I would if you'd quit yelling at me!"

"I'm not yelling!"

"Like hell you aren't!"

"Okay, fine! I'll quit yelling, if YOU stop yelling."

"It's about damn time!"

If anyone were able to watch them as they fought, the scene would have been quite comical. Both sitting side by side on the sofa in a very comfortable, companionable manner, but with arms crossed and impressive glares directed at one another across the small distance that separated them.

The moment was ruined, though, when Kagome's eyes suddenly widened, and she immediately backed off.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha questioned, sidetracked and puzzled at her sudden withdrawal from the argument.

Kagome cringed and glanced at his bedroom door. "I hope we didn't wake Rin up…"

His eyes widened as well, and he immediately focused his excellent hearing on the little girl in the next room, attempting to detect any signs that she might have woken up during the argument. But after several moments he relaxed, realizing that her steady breathing was the only sound coming from his room. "She's not awake, so don't worry about it."

"Oh. Okay."

Dead silence.

Once again they were back at square one, with Inuyasha not knowing where to begin and Kagome not knowing what to do with the exasperating, emotionally constipated hanyou sitting next to her. And if anything, the awkwardness was worse than before! Perhaps they were better off fighting…?

Or perhaps she should just give him a little push.

"Okay, if you aren't going to say what you want to say, then I'm leaving!" She threw up her arms in a gesture of surrender before pushing herself up and off the couch. This caused Inuyasha to stare at her retreating form in a near panic. "I don't see why I should stay here if all your going to do is sit around like a coward and twiddle your thumbs-"

Her rant was cut off suddenly by a very surprising move on Inuyasha's part, and the next thing Kagome knew, she was practically sitting in his lap, her nose smashed uncomfortably against his chest and two strong arms wrapped around her in an almost desperate fashion. Instead of fighting, Kagome could only sit there in a stunned silence, too surprised at his sudden forwardness to do anything but wait to see what he would do or say next.

"Dammit, just shut up and let me think for a minute!" He grumbled into her hair.

And so that was how they spent several strangely comfortable minutes. Kagome had turned to lay her cheek against his chest, and Inuyasha had his nose buried in Kagome's hair, breathing deeply and trying to gather his thoughts.

She was almost disappointed when he finally broke the silence.

"I want to tell you about my family, but it's so damn hard. I don't mean to be such an ass, but I've kept everything to myself for so long that it's hard to do anything else." He tightened his arms around her. "Even though I'm such an idiot, and I probably don't deserve anymore patience, will you still stay and listen?"

Kagome could sense how vulnerable Inuyasha was at the moment, and in response she worked one arm free and wrapped it around the back of his neck in a half hug. "Of course I will. You know I couldn't walk away from you right now, even if I wanted to."

As dense as Inuyasha could be, he still understood that she didn't just mean that she couldn't get up because he was holding her in place, and the heavy weight in his chest lifted just a bit. Maybe it would be a good thing to finally tell someone else about his mother, about the reason he still felt such a crushing guilt after all this time. He knew she wouldn't hate him for it. This was Kagome, and he trusted her more than he'd ever trusted anyone.

And that was just one of the many reasons why he loved her so much.

After spending another few minutes gathering his thoughts, Inuyasha began his story.

"When we were kids, that bastard Sesshoumaru always liked making my life a living hell…" Kagome froze, shocked that he had actually started talking for once. He didn't seem to notice her reaction, though, because he was already wrapped up in his memories. "Every chance he got, he would throw the fact that I was a hanyou, that I was tainted and imperfect, in my face. He never hesitated to point out that I would never live up to our family name, and that I didn't deserve a place with them."

"That's awful." She whispered into his shirt before pulling back to look at his face. "How could someone act like that towards their own sibling?"

"Keh." Inuyasha laughed, but the sound wasn't happy in the least. "If you knew him, you wouldn't doubt it for a second. He's always been cold hearted and completely wrapped up in himself. The only times he would have anything to do with me at all was when he tormented me."

Kagome remained quiet, suddenly understanding that even though the way Sesshoumaru had treated him as a child must have hurt him, his older brother wasn't the source of Inuyasha's misery. After all, he'd never had a problem verbalizing his feelings about Sesshoumaru, so his story must be leading up to something else entirely.

"My father always felt the need to play the referee between us in an effort to keep some kind of peace in the house. He never took sides, though he still did what he could to keep Sesshoumaru from terrorizing me too much. But more often than not, repairing whatever damage that had been done by my bastard brother was left up to my mother." He paused, and Kagome could tell that he was starting to get uncomfortable. "No matter what my brother told me, no matter how rotten and worthless he made me feel, my mother was always there to remind me that there was at least one person that loved me unconditionally. She was the one person that I could always run to whenever I was upset, and I knew she wouldn't judge me or call me a worthless hanyou."

The pain in his voice and face was unmistakable now, and when he fell silent Kagome placed a gentle hand on the side of his face. The gesture seemed to renew his determination.

"My mother was my world, and I always took comfort in the fact that she loved me more than anyone, except for my father. And it never occurred to me that I might ever have to share her attention with anyone else, so the day she told me…she told me that…" He swallowed hard. "The day that she told me she was pregnant again, I lost it. I felt betrayed. It was as if she'd decided to replace me."

"Oh, Inuyasha..."

The sympathy and understanding those two simple words held was almost too much for him, but somehow he still managed to keep going, wanting to tell her everything.

"I know it was stupid of me, but at the time it was like everything bad Sesshoumaru had ever said about me had suddenly come true. I was worthless, tainted, and unwanted. So of course my mother would want another child. Someone better than me." Inuyasha stopped to take a deep breath, more hesitant than ever to continue because to do so would mean telling Kagome about one of the most horrible things he'd ever done. Turning his head to avoid looking her in the eyes, he plunged in before he could lose his nerve. "After that day, I never saw or spoke to my mother again."

Kagome was, to put it mildly, shocked. Out of all the scenarios that had gone through her mind as he was speaking, that was certainly not one of them. How could he have possibly just cut off all ties with his own mother over something so small? It was a ridiculous thing to completely avoid one's parent over, especially a parent you love so much. Surely he would have given in and spoken to her again eventually! It would have taken a while, she knew, but even someone as stubborn as Inuyasha couldn't hold out forever...

Forever.

No one really has forever, do they? In fact, sometimes the amount of time you have may be shorter than you realize...

As Kagome considered this, slowly, piece by piece, the puzzle that was Inuyasha's past started to come together in her mind. And as she finally understood the full magnitude of what must have happened to cause him to live with so much pain and guilt, Kagome began to cry.

Now it was Inuyasha's turn to be shocked as well as confused. Just moments ago he had been fully prepared for her to yell at him, call him an insensitive jerk, maybe even knock him upside the head a few good times...but CRY? What had he done to make her cry!

"O-Oi, Kagome!" He stared at her with wide eyes and gently touched her shoulder with one clawed hand. "What's wrong?"

In response, Kagome threw her other arm around his neck to join the one that was already there in a chokingly tight hug and began to cry harder.

At that point Inuyasha completely forgot about what he had been talking about and focused instead on the crying girl in his arms. He was in a near panic over not knowing what set her off. "Oi, whatever I did or said, I didn't mean it, okay? You can hit me or yell at me, whatever you want, just stop crying and tell me what's wrong!"

In the midst of her crying, Kagome let out a hiccupping laugh while still hugging him tightly around the neck. "Y-You didn't do a-anything, you dufus! I'm crying b-because of what happened to y-you!"

"Huh?" Though her speech was a bit muffled and jumbled, Inuyasha still managed to understand what she was saying, and while it decreased his panic, it increased his confusion. "What do you mean 'what happened to me'? I was the idiot that left and refused to talk to my own mother..." His ears flattened as he suddenly recalled where he had left off.

Sitting up and releasing her death grip on his neck, Kagome wiped her eyes with her sleeve and made a valiant attempt to pull herself together. Once she was satisfied, her serious, though still slightly watery eyes focused on his. "Inuyasha...what happened after you left? I'm pretty sure I know, but please, I want you to finish your story anyway so that I can hear it in your own words."

Mystified by her request, Inuyasha hesitantly complied. "When I left that day, somewhere deep down I knew that I was being unreasonable, but I didn't want to admit it, even to myself. So to keep myself from thinking about it, I kept pushing away everything that reminded me of my mother. I had nothing to do with any of my family. She tried calling me several times and would write me letters, but I never responded. Instead I threw myself into my new job, and before I knew it, months had passed." Inuyasha stopped for a moment to smile slightly at Kagome, who had, it seemed, taken his hand and threaded her fingers with his without even realizing she'd done it.

"What happened then, Inuyasha?" Her soft question made the smile slip from his face.

"I...got a call, about six months after I'd left home. It was the middle of the night, and I was working the late shift at my job. The call was from my father...he wanted me to come to the hospital, because my mother was going into labor a bit too early, though not by much. But I refused to go." At this point Inuyasha's voice became rougher. "Several hours later it was almost time for me to take off when another call came. This time it was Sess. He...he told me my mother was dying from unexpected complications. The baby was already gone."

Inuyasha held Kagome more tightly, as if he were afraid she would leave after hearing what he'd done. But instead of moving to leave, she just settled more comfortably against him while rubbing a hand in soothing circles on his back.

"I tried to get there in time. I REALLY tried! But by the time I made it there, it was already too late. She died thinking I hated her..."

At this Kagome pulled back and stared at his incredulously. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

He stared back at her. "What else was she supposed to think with the way I acted?"

"I think she knew that no matter what, you loved her more than anyone else. Because if what you said is true about how your relationship was before that, nothing could truly break it. Not even an extended bout of stubbornness." Kagome took his face in her hands and pulled it down until they were nearly nose to nose. "You can regret not getting to see her again before she died, and you can regret your actions because it is only natural. But you shouldn't ever, EVER doubt your mother! Don't discredit her feelings for you by thinking that she would ever believe that, even for a second!"

The two stared intently into each other's eyes for several moments. Kagome's gaze was fierce as she tried to tell Inuyasha what she was sure his mother would have wanted him to hear, and he could only gaze back with amazement into her fiery eyes.

Kagome.

She was so much like his mother in so many ways. Loyal, caring, compassionate, understanding...if anyone could truly understand how his mother might have felt, she would. And hearing her say these things to him had an effect that no one else would have been able to achieve: For once he actually listened.

Not to say that he could ever forget his past or completely forgive himself, but perhaps he could finally move on and find happiness with someone that could be just as special to him as his mother had been, if not more so.

'And no matter what,' Inuyasha silently swore to himself 'I will never, EVER again make the same mistake. I won't waste any more time that I could be spending with the person I love. And there is no better time that now to make that decision a reality...'

Before Kagome could realize what was happening, Inuyasha moved in and sealed his silent vow with a kiss.

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Done! Aren't you guys proud of me? I wrote something serious and it is probably the longest chapter in the story! So now I just need to concentrate on writing part of the next chapter, and an even smaller part of the next one, and this story will be complete. I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to get to this point, but hey, like they say, good things come to those who wait. (Yes, I'm in a corny, silly mood) Til' next chapter! 


	29. When Hell Froze Over

Well, this is it! The last (official) chapter of the story! There will be one more after this, but it is more of an epilogue or bonus chapter. And it is very, very close to being finished, so look for it soon!

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for sticking with me to the end. I love this story because it has given me a chance to improve my writing so much! And I'm looking forward to what I will be able to do in the future with everything I've learned so far. Your feedback has been invaluable and I can't even begin to make you guys realize how much fun it was to get such a wide variety of reviews from all of you! Strange ones, hilarious ones, flattering ones, constructive ones...I got a few others as well, but those I didn't appreciate in the least, so we'll just pretend they don't exist, lol...

Okay, enough of that before I start getting sappy or irritated. On to the chapter!

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**WARNING:** A bit of coarse language, as usual.

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**Disclaimer**: I take full credit and ownership of the things you like about this story, (okay, except for the characters!) but anything bad wasn't my fault! I swear! Like the months between updates. That was...er...that was Inuyasha's fault! Don't ask me why, it just is, so deal with it.

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages **

Chapter Twenty-Nine

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The next morning dawned bright and clear, much to the annoyance of at least one occupant of Inuyasha's apartment.

"Damn sun, go away and let me sleep..." The overly grumpy hanyou muttered as he covered his eyes to block out the sunlight seeping through the coverings on his windows. Someone had obviously stayed up much too late the night before, and now he was suffering the consequences of only getting a few hours sleep.

It took a few minutes of serious effort, but Inuyasha finally managed to start drifting once again into a land of blissful oblivion. It was normally much harder for him to do, but that morning he was just so comfortable and warm, and he was surrounded by a scent that just made him want to stay there and never move. His brain was far too fuzzy and sleep-muddled to question any of these things, though.

After that there was peace in the room for a while, until the sun managed to climb a bit higher. Then another voice spoke, breaking the silence and startling Inuyasha out of his relaxed state so suddenly that he nearly fell of the couch in panicked surprise.

"Sango, cover the window, would you? It's too bright..."

Now Inuyasha was wide awake and staring down at the other occupant of his couch in surprise. What the hell...?

Oh. That's right.

His mind slowly began to recall the events of just a few hours previous. Calling Kagome to his apartment, their talk, her reactions to everything he had to say, the kiss...

The kiss.

An unusually goofy smile broke out on his face at that particular thought. If he'd had any reservations about Kagome's feelings towards him before that moment, he wouldn't have afterwards. She'd been more than willing to meet him halfway, and the result was absolutely mind-blowing.

He glanced back down at the still sleeping girl next to him in a rather uncomfortable-looking position. After the kiss they'd spent another good hour just talking about everything, anything, and nothing, until Kagome had fallen asleep next to him with her head on his shoulder. And unwilling to wake her up and cause her to go back to her own apartment, he's managed to pull her legs up onto the couch and recline back, all without jarring her enough to disturb her.

If possible, his grin got even sillier. He couldn't wait for her to wake up and realize where she was. Perhaps she'd react like she had the last time they'd been forced to share a bed with one another, but perhaps not? The first possible reaction would be entertaining, though bad for his heath, but the second possibility might have much more promising results. He could only hope...

Not long later he got his answer when Kagome shifted, once again awake and annoyed because 'Sango' hadn't done as she'd asked and gotten rid of the annoying sunlight. She placed her hand beside her blindly to prop herself up when she froze, and someone near her let out a gasp and froze as well.

What in the world...?

Cracking open her eyes, she peered down at her hand and nearly fell over the arm of the sofa in her haste to get away from Inuyasha. Thankfully though, he managed to pull himself together just in time to catch her, though it was extremely difficult, considering where her hand had been moments before. Out of all the things he'd been expecting to happen when she woke up, that had NOT been one of them!

"I-Inuyasha!" She stared at his with wide eyes, horrified and turning redder with every second that passed as he continued to hold onto her arms. "I'm SO sorry! I didn't mean to do it, honest! It-it was just T-THERE!"

He couldn't help himself after the last thing she said. He laughed. Hard.

Kagome continued to stare at him as he laughed, until she too began to find some humor in the situation and joined him, forgetting about her embarrassment for the moment.

They were still laughing when the phone began to ring.

Making an effort to pull himself together, Inuyasha reached over a grabbed the phone. "Yeah? What do you want?" He answered, not caring how impolite he might sound since he was suddenly annoyed at the intrusion. All the humor was gone from his voice.

"Inuyasha, I am calling to warn you that I am at the airport and shall be arriving shortly."

As if a switch had been flipped, Inuyasha's expression darkened. "Great. Just the thing I wanted to hear first thing in the morning. You sure know how to ruin someone's day."

"Good to know. Make sure Rin's things are packed."

With that, the phone line went dead.

"Who was that?" Kagome questioned, though she didn't really need to ask after seeing the expression on his face.

"Who else? The bastard says he's at the airport, so I guess I'd better get the runt up and ready to go." He looked at the bedroom door. "I'm kinda surprised she isn't already awake after all the noise we just made."

Kagome began to blush again at the reminder of what had just happened. "Er, perhaps I'd better get back down to my apartment before Sango realizes I'm still gone...unless you want help getting Rin up and her things together first?"

He smiled at her, despite her darkening mood. "Keh. Don't you know I can't seem to do anything right without you?"

She smiled in return.

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A little later that morning, the room was filled with a tense, forebodingsilence.

Well, sort of...

"Papa Sess! Papa Sess!" Rin cried over and over, galloping around the room energetically. "Rin can't wait to see Papa Sess again! It's been sooooo long since Rin last saw him, and Rin is excited!"

The other two occupants of room watched the little girl expend more energy in five minutes than a nuclear plant might manage in a year. A REALLY good year, no less. One of the watchers looked faintly amused at the hyperactive display, while the other just looked downright grumpy and irritated.

"Oh, Inuyasha, stop glaring at her like that." Kagome scoldedthehanyou next to herafter Rin became preoccupied with pressing her face against the living room window."She has every right to be so excited about seeing her 'Papa Sess', even if you aren't exactly thrilled."

A snort was the only response she received.

Sighing, Kagome turned back to watching Rin and wondered, not for the first time, why she was even there in the first place. She'd planned to leave that after helping him get Rin up, fed, and ready to go, but somehow he'd managed to talk her into staying. But why he wanted her to stay so badly, she still wasn't quite sure.

'Maybe he thinks he'll need someone to cover Rin's eyes while they try to kill each other...' she couldn't help but wonder grimly as her eyes followed the bouncing little girl. 'But seriously, what is going on in that little brain of his? I know that he told me a lot last night, and I managed to become closer to him that I ever thought I would. But still, it isn't as if we're married or anything, so I'm not sure I feel right about actually witnessing something private between he and his brother. Can't he just tell me about it later instead?' She glanced towards him. The expression on his face was very annoyed and antsy, as she'd expected. Maybe he really didn't want her here, but was pretending for her sake? "Inuyasha...really, I can leave if you want-"

His eyes immediately turned to glare at her. "Keh, you scared or something?"

"No! I just..." She bit her lip nervously.

His eyes softened as he stared at her, realizing why she was so upset. "Quit worrying about it, would you? I want you to stay, and if he says anything about you being here I'll set him straight." His determined expression surprised her.

'He must really mean it.' She thought, staring at him with wide eyes as he turned away from her with a sudden blush. 'But I still don't understand...' Actually, the way he was acting made her wonder if he wasn't over-compensating for keeping her shut out for so long by trying to involve her in EVERYTHING. That, honestly, seemed like something he would do, and she smiled a little at the thought.

Kagome turned and continued to watch Rin until the little girl suddenly plastered herself to the window and shrieked loud enough to wake the dead, or cause Inuyasha to go deaf, judging by the pained expression on his face along with the flattened ears.

"PAPA SESS!" Rin squealed, her voice muffled and her face deformed from the amount of pressure she was exerting on the window.

Inuyasha groaned internally, knowing that the 'talk' he'd been dreading ever since Sesshoumaru had called him several days ago was about to happen. And no matter how much he might wish for the whole situation to just disappear, he knew there was no avoiding it.

The half-demon suddenly glanced at the nervous girl sitting next to him. At least Kagome was here with him, so he wouldn't have to face it alone like he'd been trying to do for so long. No matter how much he thought about it or tried to reason it out, he was constantly in awe of the fact that she cared for him so much. When he'd first met her, he hadn't entertained even for a moment the thought that she might one day return his feelings.

At that moment there was a solid knock on the door and Rin went flying across the room to open it, stepping on Inuyasha's foot in the process and snapping him out of his unusually sappy thoughts.

"Oi, watch where you're going, brat!"

He was completely ignored.

"PAPA SESS!" Rin pulled open the door and nearly tackled the demon standing on the other side before he could even take one step into the apartment.

"Rin."

Sesshoumaru waited patiently for his young charge to let go of his legs, and when she did he gave her a once-over with his eyes to make sure she was in good health. After all, she HAD been staying with his brother for a good length of time, and there was no telling what kind of damage had been done. He had been half expecting to find her running around half clothed and covered in dirt, but she looked surprisingly clean and well taken care of.

But then something he saw made him pause.

"Rin, what is that on your forehead?"

The little girl smiled up at her adopted father proudly. "Rin wanted to do something special, so Rin decided to draw a moon on Rin's head just like yours!"

For once, the normally collected demon seemed to be at a loss as to what to say as he examined the mark on the little girl's forehead. It looked rather...odd...more like the mouth of a demented smiley face than a crescent moon. In fact, there was even what looked to be two little eyes and a nose...

He glanced sharply at Inuyasha, who was now standing in his usual crossed-arms stance and looking away guiltily.

"Proving your artistic abilities again, I see." Sesshoumaru commented blandly. "And here I thought that letter you drew obscene pictures on and sent back to me several years ago was your greatest achievement."

"Shut up!" He muttered weakly, not exactly sure how to defend himself."It was the middle of the night and I was bored, okay? And any letter from you was worth about as much as scrap paper to me, anyway..."

Kagome let out something that sounded suspiciously like a giggle, though to her credit she tried hard to quell it.

Sesshoumaru suddenly turned his attention to her, successfully squashing any humor she might have been feeling a moment before. "Who are you?"

"Um..."

"Kagome, this is my jerk of a brother. Jerk, this is Kagome." Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru, seeing the protest in his eyes. "I'm telling you this now. Kagome is important to me, and I asked her to stay, so she stays. This is my home after all, and if anyone leaves, it will be you."

Sesshoumaru silently contemplated Inuyasha's statement for a moment. "Fine. Her presence is of no concern to me as long as I obtain my goal."

Inuyasha snorted. "So what is your 'goal' anyway? You've been mentioning this oh-so important talk, but I can't imagine what you have to say to me that would matter. But if it's about rejoining the family because the way I live is a disgrace, then you can forget it. Nothin' you say is gonna change my mind."

"I have no intention of trying to talk you into anything, brother."

The suspicious look Inuyasha was giving Sesshoumaru was unmistakable. "So then what they he-" He paused, remembering that Rin was present. "What the heck do you want, then? Just to bug me?"

Sesshoumaru seemed faintly amused. "That would be a pleasant bonus, but no, that is not my main goal."

"Then WHAT do you want? Just say it!" Inuyasha growled, finally losing what little patience he had with the whole situation. His brother certainly knew better than anyone what buttons needed to be pushed to set him off.

Apparently that satisfied Sesshoumaru, because he finally decided to get down to business. "Rin, please sit quietly and do not interrupt."

Obediently the little girl sat in the floor next to his feet, happy to just be near her Papa Sess.

"It has been several years since the days you and I lived in the same house along with father and...your mother." Sesshoumaru stopped, already struggling with what he was about to say next, though it wasn't visible to anyone around him. "Those were not happy years for any of us, for I resented both you and your mother for the taint that a human and a half human would have on the family name. But...certain things have occurred that made me question and reevaluate my views of these things."

Inuyasha could do nothing but stare at his brother, flabbergasted at the unexpected words. Was he hallucinating...?

"It started the night I reluctantly joined father at the hospital when your mother went into labor. I did not want to be there by any means, but I went upon father's request. I think he was already aware at that time that something was not right, and I could not deny the request for his sake alone. And so I was there to watch as your mother passed.

"I did not understand father's reaction. Why would he mourn a human so completely? For days he would not eat or sleep. He could think of nothing but his lost wife, his lost child...and you. No matter what I said to try to convince him that he was being a fool for mourning a human and wasting away over a son that would have nothing to do with him, still I could not sway him."

Inuyasha's seemed almost stricken, and his voice was a near croak as he spoke. "He...was that worried about me?"

Sesshoumaru eyed his as if he were a bug. "Yes, though I still don't fully understand that. You left the hospital that night and refused to speak to him after that. You blamed him for your mother's death, did you not? You felt as if you hated him, am I correct? I believe he knew that, and still he couldn't bring himself to have any ill feelings towards you. I would have gladly struck you down at that time my anger towards you was so strong, but I knew he would not have wanted me to, so I refrained."

The room was silent for several moments as Sesshoumaru allowed Inuyasha to digest such painful information.

"It wasn't long after that when father himself ended up at that very same hospital. He was so far gone after your mother's death that he never managed to recover. Even with all his powers, his weakness towards a simple human managed to do him in." Sesshoumaru's eyes hardened as he recalled his feelings as he wondered the hospital halls that night. "After he died, I hated him for his weakness. He was no longer the father I had known, and it was you and your mother's fault. If humans were nothing to me before, you were now the scum of the earth for bringing down such a fearsome youkai."

Inuyasha bristled and made a move to speak, but Kagome laid a calming hand on his arm. He immediately backed down, though it took some effort.

"But as I wondered the halls, I came upon a child. At first I ignored her, but she spoke to me, and asked me what was wrong." He stopped to gaze down at Rin, who stared back at him happily. His hard eyes softened. "I was surprised that anyone could see through me like that, and I responded without thinking about it. I told her my father was dead. And she cried for my loss, even when I could not.

"I wondered, what would make a little human child cry for a stranger? And a youkai, no less. I could not understand it." He paused for a moment. "It was not but a moment later that one of the hospital staff came long and told her that her mother was dead."

"Oh, Rin..." Kagome whispered, and looked ready to cry herself.

"I questioned the staff member when I realized that no one was sitting with this child, and found out that the mother and child were homeless, and had been brought off the street that very night. She had no family, no home, and now no mother, yet she still cried for me when she had far more reasons to cry for herself."

By far the softest look Inuyasha had ever seen on Sesshoumaru's face was present now, and he could only sit and stunned silence as he listened to this near stranger standing across from him. What had happened to the asshole brother he'd always known and hated?

"I was curious about this child that had so suddenly appeared and distracted me from thinking about father. So I had Jaken make a few calls, and then took her home with me that night."

Unable to resist, Kagome burst out "Oh my God, you were able to take a child home with you just like that?"

Sesshoumaru turned to stare at her. "Money, prestige, connections and power go very far, and can get you nearly anything."

Now it was Kagome's turn to be flabbergasted.

"As I was saying..." He continued, a bit irritated with the interruption "I took Rin home with me that night, puzzled and wanting to understand this strange human child. And as months passed with her in my care, I half expected her to suddenly act differently at some point, as if she were only pretending to be so unselfish, but she never did. She continued to be the same child, and without realizing it, though I am loath to admit this, I began to understand to understand father's feelings, at least in some small part."

Inuyasha was sure he must be hearing things. "What did you say?"

Sesshoumaru gave a long-suffering sigh. "Listen well, Inuyasha, because I shall only say this once. I apologize to you for all those years of torment." He made a face, as if the words physically pained him. "There. That was my goal and nothing more."

A still breeze could have blown Inuyasha over, and Kagome finally had to speak for him, because he obviously couldn't find his own voice, or even a stray thought in his head. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama, for explaining these things to Inuyasha. I am sure he will accept the apology at some point, if not right now." She stood next to the frozen hanyou and bowed politely.

He nodded his acknowledgement to her. "Then that is all. Rin, are you ready to leave?"

"Hai, Papa Sess! Rin's things are all packed!"

There was a flurry of activity as Jaken was called in to lug her baggage downstairs, and then Sesshoumaru excited after him, instructing Rin to say her goodbyes.

She turned to the two adults, one looking ready to cry and the other still stunned speechless.

"Rin will miss you Aunt Kagome!" The little girl cried, latching onto the older girl. They shared a long hug as Kagome struggled to hold in her tears.

"I'll miss you so much as well! Please come back and visit soon, okay?"

Rin's eyes lit up at the offer, and she nodded so enthusiastically that Kagome worried for a moment that the little girl would hurt her neck. "Rin promises to come back soon!"

Kagome reluctantly released Rin, and the child then turned towards her Uncle Inu. She clung to his legs and that seemed to snap him out of his daze. "Goodbye, Uncle Inu. Rin will miss you soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much! Please come and visit Rin and Papa Sess, and Rin will come visit Uncle Inu every chance Rin gets!"

Despite himself, Inuyasha felt as if his heart had just dropped into his toes at the realization that Rin was leaving, and that he was going to have to say goodbye to her. How had he gotten so attached to her without even realizing it? "I...I'm gonna miss you too, runt. I don't know if I'll be welcome to visit, but you can come see me any time." He ruffled her hair, causing her to giggle.

"Okay!"

With that, she headed out the door with one final wave, and then she was gone.

The room seemed so much lonelier without her. And it hadn't even been a minute since she'd left. How was he going to stand it with his apartment so quiet?

He then glanced over at Kagome, who was wiping a stray tear from one of her eyes. And then he got an idea.

"Oi, Kagome..." He wrapped his arms around her in a hug, though for some reason the gesture didn't seem nearly as innocent to her as it was. Maybe because of the leer he had on his face...? "I think I'm going to be really, really lonely now that the runt's gone, and I don't know what I'm gonna do about it."

"You...don't? She wrapped her own arms around him, catching on to where he was going...or so she thought.

"Nope...wait, maybe I do. But I'll need you to help me." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Of course I'll help you." She smiled at him, amused by this new, very forward attitude he was sporting. "What should I do?"

"Well..." He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear, which caused Kagome's face to go so red that he thought she might pass out.

"I-Inuyasha!" She stared at him in embarrassed horror. Of all the things she'd expected him to say (spending a lot of time with him being the main one), she had NOT been prepared for Inuyasha to make a very Miroku-like offer. "I am NOT going to help you make a replacement for Rin!"

He pretended to pout. "Not ever?"

She paused, finally starting to recover from her embarrassment. "Well...not right now, at least." She smiled. "Maybe later."

Inuyasha laughed, and then responded to her with a kiss that easily rivaled any of the ones they'd already shared. And hopefully they would continue to share even better ones for a long time to come...

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Wow...I really struggled to get the first scene of this chapter started and written, but once I got passed that, it practically wrote itself in just a few hours! I had no expectations of getting it finished today, but somehow I did! I'm really happy with the way it turned out, and I hope you guys are as well! Now you may look forward to the epilogue because it's almost finished! 


	30. Neatly Wrapped

**A/N:** It is finally here, the very last chapter of this story. I can't believe it took me this long to finish it! But at last it is done, so once again, big thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and comment on this story. I probably wouldn't have made it this far without my readers, because you guys are really worth writing for! I hope you continue to read my future work as well!

And because I'm so proud of it...I got fanart! It's so cute, too! Thank you so much Azelle! I'll try to post a link to it on my profile if anyone is interested...

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Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape or form responsible for the end of this chapter. So Sesshoumaru doesn't need to get revenge on ME, because it's all Inuyasha's fault, I tell you! (Do I blame everything on him? Oh well, he doesn't mind, I'm sure!) Oh, and I don't own the characters...

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**Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages  
**Bonus Chapter/Epilogue

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_Winter, three years later...  
_  
&

Christmas was only a few days away.

"Inuyasha, would you please pass me the tape?"

"Keh! I'm using it right now, so just wait your turn."

Kagome watched doubtfully as her husband carefully placed ten pieces of tape across the crooked seam of the Christmas present he was currently 'wrapping', if you could call it that. She wasn't really sure who the gift was for, but she could only pray that it was for someone with patience and a good sense of humor.

"Dammit, why won't this thing stay closed like it's supposed to? I'm running out of places to put the tape!"

Half amused and half exasperated, Kagome let him continue to fuss with the present without saying anything, because she knew he wouldn't listen to her. 'One would really think that after three years of spoiling Rin with gifts just to annoy his brother, the stubborn idiot would have learned how to wrap a present decently...'

Inuyasha cursed again after getting another piece of tape stuck in his hair, causing Kagome to giggle. 'Okay, so perhaps that would be too much to hope for. At least he means well.'

After leaning over to save him from going bald by gently extracting the tape from his hair instead of letting him yank it out, as he was prone to doing, she took the package from him before he could do any more damage. "Are you sure you don't want me to finish by myself? I did last year and you know I enjoy-"

He cut her off by snatching the box back and holding it away from her as if he were afraid it might explode if she touched it. "But last year you weren't...weren't...!" Growling in frustration and knowing anything he might say would probably get him in trouble, he finally settled for staring at her pointedly.

"So? What does that have to do with anything?" She stared back at him flatly.

"I just mean that you shouldn't strain yourself!" He glared at her, as if daring her to argue.

The looks she was giving him told him clearly that she thought he was insane. How could a person strain themselves by wrapping Christmas gifts, for goodness sake? The very idea was ludicrous.

But of course, Inuyasha refused to back down from the notion that wrapping a gift that weighed much more than a piece of paper might kill her, and continued to stubbornly insist that he would wrap all the bigger gifts that year, leaving her with only the smallest items. And she only got to keep those AFTER she threatened his ramen supply.

Kagome finally sighed in resignation and picked up a thin box that was about the length of her forearm. She planned to wrap it next after Inuyasha finished with the tape, but she was beginning to wonder if there would be any left by the time he was through.

Idly looking around the room while she waited, Kagome smiled as her eyes took in the space.

It was the couple's second Christmas together since they'd been married, though it was the first that they would celebrate in their new apartment. It hadn't even been two months since they'd moved in, but already the place was feeling much more like home than Inuyasha's tiny apartment had. It was much larger, and it wouldn't be too much longer before the additional space would come in handy.

Kagome smiled and rubbed her suspiciously round stomach affectionately. Thank goodness Inuyasha had finally given in and started working for Sesshoumaru again not long after Rin had gone back home. While working with the company he'd managed several promotions on his own merit, and had even started working on a degree in his spare time while Kagome worked as a pre-school teacher.

Everything finally seemed to be falling into place for the couple, including Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's 'relationship,' if it could be called that. Most of the time it was more like an exchange of petty revenge tactics. But really, Kagome seriously doubted that the two brothers would ever have anything close to a normal sibling relationship. At least Inuyasha seemed to be over his stubbornness when it came to rejecting all ties to his family.

"Inuyasha, would you please just give me the tape? We aren't going to have enough left to finish wrapping everything if you keep it up!"

"Fine, whatever. I'm done anyway." He grinned and held up the package for her inspection - though he was still careful to keep it out of her reach.

"Very...nice." She struggled to keep a straight face, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "Who is that one for?"

His face went blank. "Uh..."

"Inuyasha..." She resisted the urge to start laughing...barely. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what it was! Did you write it down somewhere?"

"Of-of COURSE I remember what it is!" He shook the box slightly in an attempt to identify what was in it, obviously hoping she wouldn't notice the movement. "It's...it's...a gift for the runt!"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh this time as she set down the small box she'd been holding. "I take it you made that educated guess from the fact that most of the gifts here are for her?"

He scowled at her, and she knew that she'd guessed right.

With a little work, Kagome managed to slide across the floor and over to the hanyou sitting across from her. At first he looked suspicious that she was trying to take the package from his again, but relaxed when she hugged him. "You're so pathetic that it's cute, you know that?"

"Oi!"

Laughing, Kagome pulled him down and gave him a peck on the cheek, and managed to snatch the box out of his hands while he was off guard. "GOT IT!"

Shocked, Inuyasha didn't react as quickly as his demon traits made him capable of, and all he could do was yell at his sneaky wife as she made off with the gift he'd tried so hard to keep away from her. "Dammit Kagome! Give that back!"

Evading his hands, she scooted across the floor and shook the box herself. "Actually, Inuyasha, I think this is the toaster I bought Sango and Miroku as an early wedding present/Christmas gift..."

The hanyou stopped in mid-grab and had the good grace to blush. Okay, so he'd been waaay off the mark with his guess. But hey, it probably wouldn't have been so bad. Maybe Rin secretly wanted a toaster of her very own?

Or maybe not.

Grumbling under his breath, Inuyasha grabbed the box out of her hands and replaced it with a pen and some gift tags. THAT was something he figured she could do without straining herself.

After the gift had been properly labeled as belonging to Sango and Miroku, Kagome went back to the long, thin box she'd been planning to wrap earlier. Inuyasha watched her picked up back up with a wary look on his face.

"I don't remember that box. What is it?"

Kagome understood what he was really trying to find out, and rolled her eyes. "It's a gift for Kagura, and no, it's not heavy at all." She slipped the lid off, and pulled a beautiful, hand-made fan out of the box. "See? Isn't it just perfect for her?"

His face showed his confusion. "But I thought she already had a fan made for her demon powers. Why would she want another one?"

"Because, silly, she can't kill anyone with this one, and I promised Sango that I'd find something for Kagura that she could use to keep Miroku in line with that wouldn't be life-threatening. You know how much that poor woman deals with, having a boss like that. She should probably be the one running the place, not him."

Amused, Inuyasha couldn't help but ask. "How would she use that to keep him in line?"

Without answering him, she swiftly folded up the fan and used it to rap his knuckles.

"Ouch, woman, that hurt!" He rubbed his hand while giving her his injured puppy face, the one she could hardly resist.

Instead of babying him like he was hoping she would, she just laughed. "See? If it can make a big, strong hanyou whine, then it will keep Miroku in line. And if she hits his hands hard enough, they'll be out of commission for a while. That thought alone should be enough make him behave."

Inuyasha smirked, the 'big strong hanyou' line having quickly put him in a good mood again. "Not being able to grope Sango? Now that could be funny!"

The two continued to talk and laugh, speculating on what life would be like if Miroku suddenly lost his ability to grope anyone.

"Hey, I bet if Kagura had just broken his hands a long time ago, Miroku and Sango probably would have gotten together a lot sooner." Kagome paused in her wrapping to think for a moment about what Inuyasha was saying. "As it is, they may have become 'official' before us, but we'll have been married two years before they even make the six month mark."

"Yeah, but Sango moved in with him when we got married and I moved in with you. So they've been together just as long." Kagome reasoned.

"Keh. Not if you count all the times one of them ended up staying with us because Sango either left or kicked him out of his own apartment. Those two fight more than anyone I've ever met! I get along with 'Sessy-poo' better than that!"

Kagome giggled at the nickname for Sesshoumaru that Inuyasha refused to let die after hearing the name of Rin's stuffed bear. "Oh, but you know they love one another. Sango just doesn't love his bad habits."

While they had been talking, Kagome had finished wrapping Kagura's gift and had moved on to the next item Inuyasha had allowed her to keep. It was a book, barely bigger than her hand, and the cover promised readers 101 practical jokes to play on your friends.

Of course, the gift was for Shippo.

If Inuyasha had bothered to notice what the books was about, he probably would have put a stop to any such thing being given to the mischievous kitsune. After all, he was bad enough as it was, and tended to focus all his trouble making abilities on the unlucky hanyou.

Not that he didn't deserve it, though.

At every opportunity, Inuyasha would rub it in Shippo's face that he'd married Kagome, the one girl Shippo'd ever had a crush on. And even though Shippo was younger than she was, and had pretty much known from the start that he'd had no chance with her, he still couldn't stand that fact that Inuyasha of all people was the one she'd chosen.

So whenever the subject came up, which thanks to Inuyasha was far too often, Shippo would tell the half-demon that it was a momentary lapse of sanity on Kagome's part, and that she'd come to her senses any day now and divorce him. And needless to say, Inuyasha didn't like that at ALL, so more often than not the old ladies in the cafe would have to beat him down with their brick filled purses in an attempt to protect the poor boy that was like a grandson to them.

Shippo enjoyed those moments. A lot.

"Inuyasha, quit glaring at me! What did I do this time?" Kagome stopped in the middle of tying a ribbon around Shippo's gift and gave her now glowering husband a confused look.

"Did you HAVE to buy that brat something?" he grumbled. "If you ask me, all he deserves is a good swift kick in the-"

"Inuyasha! Don't say things like that about Shippo. He's so sweet!"

"Yeah, to YOU maybe."

Sighing, Kagome realized that she would probably have to play dirty to get Inuyasha out of the foul mood he was currently in. After living with him for a couple of years, though, she couldn't help but be an expert at it.

"Inuyasha..." Her voice was so suddenly sweet that he couldn't help but be momentarily suspicious. "Let's take a break, okay?" She held out her arms and he gave in immediately, never one to turn down any kind of cuddling or attention from his wife. Sometimes she felt like she already had a child with the way he acted. She giggled at the thought.

"Oi, what's so funny?" He grumbled, but there was no real heat behind it. He was far too relaxed, leaning with her up against the sofa as her hands made quick work of turning him into a big pile of goo. She could give the BEST ear rubs...

"Oh, nothing." She hummed as she found a particularly sensitive spot that made his ear flick. "I was just thinking about how cute our baby will be if it's anything like you."

"I'm not 'cute'!" He protested, though very half-heartedly.

Smiling, Kagome didn't bother to argue with him. Instead she just concentrated on what she was doing because she knew how much he was enjoying it.

By this point he was nearly in a mindless stupor. "Damn, that feels good. I knew there was a good reason why I keep you around."

"What, you don't keep me around because you love me?" She pretended to be hurt.

"Well...there is that, I guess."

"You 'guess'?" She stopped rubbing his ears.

"Okay, okay! I keep you around because you're the most wonderful woman in the world, and I could never love anyone as much as I love you. Is that better?" He cracked open his eyes to peer at her hopefully.

She laughed. "I suppose that will have to do." Kagome began rubbing his ears again, much to Inuyasha's pleasure. He'd learned early on to say whatever he had to say for a good ear rub. His pride as a man would just have to suffer for it.

"Really, I meant it, Kagome. I dunno what I'd do without you." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I know, Inuyasha. I love you, too, and you never could do anything right without me, could you?" She laughed again when answered.

"Damn right I can't. Move your fingers a little more to the left..." He sighed blissfully.

Kagome worked silently for a few moments, before breaking the peace with a sudden question. "Do you want to finish wrapping the gifts now? We need to get them sent off today if we are going to have them there in time for the holiday."

Inuyasha waved her off. "I don't think it'll matter if they are a day or two late. I already sent her an early gift."

Kagome froze, a suspicious look on her face. "You did? You never told me that you were planning to send her something early. What did you get her?" She had a bad feeling he didn't tell her about it because it was something that she probably would have stopped him from sending.

An evil smile broke out on her husband's face, confirming her suspicions. "Oh, nothing much..."

* * *

He was going to kill his half-brother...slowly and painfully...

Sesshoumaru was sitting in his favorite chair, and though he had a tendency to sit very formally and with good posture, he seemed much stiffer than usual.

"Jaken. You will remove this offending object. Now."

There was a hard edge to his voice that his minion knew better than to ignore.

"Right away, Sesshoumaru-sama!" The little toad demon rushed to grab what was upsetting his lord, while Rin stood off to the side, giggling. "AAGHH! It bit me, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"I will do far worse to you than bite you, if you do not get it away from me." Sesshoumaru's voice was deadly serious, though it only made Rin laugh more.

Oh, she couldn't wait to tell her Uncle Inu about this!

"O-Of course, my lord!"

Fear of the demon lord spurred the little green creature back into action, and he made another grab for whatever had bitten him a few moments before.

"Gah! Let go of my hand, you little monster!" Jaken shrieked and shook his hand, but nothing he did could dislodge the offender.

"Jaken..."

"I'm trying, Sesshoumaru-sama! Please don't kill me!"

The little toad youkai reached out with his other hand and grabbed what was quickly becoming the bain of his existence, causing it to yowl from his tight grip.

Rin abruptly quit laughing. "Stop it! You're hurting Fluffy-chan!"

Hearing his charge near tears, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and caused his face to take on an expression as close to long-suffering as it would probably ever get. "Jaken, let it go."

"Wha-?"

"You heard me. Put it down."

Baffled, Jaken did as his Lord commanded and dropped the kitten back in Sesshoumaru's lap where it had previously been. Happy that it was no longer being removed from its favorite sleeping spot, the kitten now known as 'Fluffy-chan' curled back up and began to purr loudly in complete contentment.

"Awww!" Rin squealed happily, a complete about-face from a moment before. "She likes you, Papa Sess! Aren't you happy?"

Sesshoumaru didn't bother to respond, so Jaken decided to do it for him. "Are you that thick-headed, girl? Sesshoumaru-sama is a DOG demon! It's degrading for him to have any association with a lowly, feline creature such as that one!"

"Be quiet, Jaken."

Though it seemed impossible, the toad man's eyes bulged even farther out of his head than they had been previously. Had his noble dog-demon Lord actually stopped him from explaining why the little fur ball was unworthy to reside in the lap of such greatness?

The room was quiet for several moments as Jaken took the time to understand the situation with his tiny mind. It was incomprehensible that a demon of Sesshoumaru's status would just accept defeat after being subjected to one of his half-brother's immature pranks. Surely his Lord would fight back and teach that scoundrel a lesson!

"Jaken, pack Rin's things."

Both the other occupants of the room turned to stare at Sesshoumaru in surprise.

"Papa Sess, why do you want Rin's things packed? Are we going on a trip?" The little girl looked merely curious. She had no fear that her beloved caretaker would ever attempt to send her away for good.

"Actually," the smallest hint of a smile could be seen on the demon lord's face "How would you like to visit your Uncle Inuyasha?"

Rin's face lit up. "REALLY? Do you mean it?"

"Of course." The ghost of a smile was gone, and he was once again all business. "Jaken, make sure Rin's entire collection of hair accessories are packed, and procure a pet carrier and all the items needed for Inuyasha's 'gift' to travel along with her. I suddenly feel the need for another 'business' trip..."

"Right away, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken rushed to do his Lord's bidding with tears in his bulbous eyes. All his beliefs weren't shattered! His Lord would continue to fight!

Suddenly, the world seemed much brighter to the little green toad.

* * *

**A/N:** Sadly, that is the end. No more. I don't plan on a sequel or anything, but I thought an ending like that would be amusing. So all of you can imagine for yourselves what kind of terrible torture Rin and 'Fluffy-chan' will put Inuyasha through! Poor guy...anyway, thanks for reading! I am really going to miss this story...so be sure and leave me a few words in honor of my dearly departed story, okay? It will bring me comfort...lol... 


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